The term 'wife, colloquially' can be expressed in two crossword solutions: 'missis' (6 letters) and 'betterh' (7 letters). 'Missis' is a dialectal variant of the word 'MISSUS', which is derived from the Latin word 'MISTRESS' and is used to refer to a married woman. 'Betterh' is an informal term for a wife, which is derived from the Old English word 'betweohun', meaning 'between two'. Both terms are used to refer to a married woman in a casual or informal setting.