1.
a wife is happiest when her husband is out; better when the husband is healthy and away
A humorous proverb expressing that a wife prefers her husband to be healthy enough to go to work and stay out of the house, rather than being home all day. Reflects a traditional housewife perspective on domestic life.
「亭主元気で留守がいい」という言葉が昔はよく使われた。
The saying 'Better when the husband is healthy and out' was commonly used in the past.
定年退職して夫がずっと家にいるようになると、「亭主元気で留守がいい」とはいかなくなる。
Once the husband retires and is home all the time, the 'better when he's away' situation is no more.
「亭主元気で留守がいい」というフレーズは家電メーカーの広告から生まれ、社会現象になった。
The phrase 'better when the husband is healthy and away' originated in an appliance maker's advertisement and became a social phenomenon.
A humorous proverb popularized in 1986 by a Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic) advertisement campaign. It is now a well-known saying, though it reflects a traditional gender-role perspective.
亭主 is an older term for husband (especially by a wife); 留守 means being away from home or absent. The phrase is often used in the context of husbands retiring and suddenly being home all day ({定年ご亭主の居場所 = a retired husband with nowhere to go}).