Lavoisier’s wife, in fact, upon further research, was probably more of an equal, a co-collaborator, than a helpmeet. Isn’t that the most dreadful word, helpmeet? Should we look up the etymology, because that’s what one does in these sorts of faux-scholarly pieces? Oh, would you look at this, helpmeet: “from the Bible, Genesis 2:18, 20, where Adam’s future wife is discussed as ‘an help meet for him.’ ” Lavoisier’s wife surely could have used a barf emoji, had she ever looked up the origin of “helpmeet” and shared it with Charlotte Corday. Lavoisier’s wife’s text: Can you even fucking believe
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