The Wife of Bath

When I was still a child, if I ever came out to the living room dressed in something outlandish, or in an outfit that was particularly bright, my dad would always say with a big smile, "You look like the Wife of Bath." That meant nothing to me at the time; I wondered who she was but figured if my dad said it, it must be a compliment. He said the same thing to my sisters from time to time.

Well, today I taught Chaucer and was reminded again, as the past several years when also teaching Chaucer, who the Wife of Bath was.

1. She was a traveler in the Canterbury Tales.
2. She wore ten-pound, gaudy hats.
3. She had a gap between her front teeth.
4. She had very wide hips.
5. She had had five husbands.
6. She wore red hose.

My dad has always been a character. Can you tell?!!