I find it strange that he is answering over her. This shows intentionality. How about writing on his palm your title, as a reminder when he "forgets" next. Just joking.

Cavemen have trouble with multi-syllabic words... ugh, me Grok.

When OP was “just” a nurse he didn’t feel threatened. Now she has a degree and impressive job title he’s struggling to feel superior. Dumb really because the entire health system depends on nurses plus everyone else. They often know as much, if not more, than doctors. In my experience, they get to know you more than the doctors have time to. I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone in healthcare who saw us through COVID. What you dealt with wasn’t unprecedented but it was the first time in nearly 100 years that the entire system was stretched to the limits (and beyond). We couldn’t have got through anywhere near as intact as a society without you.

Introduce him as your ex.

What a POS (husband). My wife and I have jokes, but I can't imagine "joking" to strangers about anything that's hurtful outside the confines of our home.

I'm a copywriter at an international ad agency and my husband used to tell people I'm a writer for a marketing company bc he thought ppl wouldn't understand my real title. I told him people don't understand his real one, either. Plus i'm extremely proud of the efforts I've taken to get here, I don't want it ignored. He took time to reflect and sincerely apologized, and he's never done it again bc he respects me, my career, and my request.

Janelle Collard

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Since OP's hubs is an engineer, she can introduce HIM to people by saying, "He plays with trains." :) If he doesn't cut this s**t out I would seriously consider separating + divorce if he refuses to go to counseling with me.

And divorce in 5... 4... 3... 2... It's not just the career title. He must be belittling her in dozens of other ways, too. This behaviour doesn't stick to one thing. He gets off on feeling superior to his wife, and she's not taking it anymore. This will not end well.

Are we sure hubby doesn't think he's a pilot?

Just tell people your husband washes cars for a living. He'll soon learn to get your job title right.

So not only is he undermining her and putting her down he's gaslighting her too. A joke is only a joke if all parties involved in the joke find it funny (especially a long running gag). Otherwise it's just bullying.

Her husband is an engineer. I think I'd go on the offensive: "Hi, I'm Tropical Octopus. I'm a marine biologist. This is [husband]. He's a tinkerer" Really, what does an engineer do anyway? It's too complicated for people and a lot funnier this way. /S /JK

This kind of behavior from him is just the tip of the iceberg of issues in their relationship. Should probably start counseling soon or this is the beginning of the end of the relationship.

I honestly only have to ask once if something like this happened in my relationship. If he is continuing to disrespect your request and find it 'funny and easier' maybe he needs a wife who finds that cute. You deserve someone who will listen and change behaviors when you feel hurt and bring it to them. Otherwise, why be in a relationship with him? What does he provide besides that? Something like this isn't usually an isolated incident. He needs to respect your boundaries for your title and if not, just let you explain since his delicate head can't handle it. Which I will point out is strange an engineer isn't smart enough to be able to explain his wife's job.

"Oh, im sorry. My soon to be ex cant remember 8 stringed words togheter. Im a marine biologist working with turtle-rehabilitation".

Her husband is an engineer, so she could cone up with some stupid way of referring to his work like "repairman" or something

I've met very few engineers with social skills and far fewer who aren't just super arrogant.

I see divorce in their future. He’s SO disrespecting her!

He thinks he has a hilarious "joke" that keeps failing that's why he's adamant to "prove" its hilarity to her by doing this over and over until he gets the right response and can go "seeeeee, funny" and he's insecure.

Marine Biologists remove golf balls from blow-holes.

DEFINITELY NTA!!! Hubby doesn't like your new career, for some reason. Did he want you to STAY in nursing? A GOOD husband would brag, "MY WIFE WAS A NURSE, BUT WENT BACK TO EARN ANOTHER DEGREE IN MARINE BIOLOGY. SHE'S SO SMART!" His refusal to properly state your position seems to be a power play at this point. I wonder how he'd feel if you told people that he fixed engines instead of saying he was an engineer. I'd seek professional help to get to the bottom of this. He's being EXTREMELY disrespectful to you and your accomplishments!!!

Introduce him as a handyman

He knows precisely what he's doing and his lie that he 'can't remember' to introduce & address her correctly is simply a way of escaping consequences (it's called 'weaponized ignorance' and it's a manipulation tactic of domestic abusers). This toxic game he's playing with her is his passive-aggressive way of knocking her down a peg to take away her power from having made such a great achievement and loving the job she does - while he's done nothing equally as ambitious. And he will never stop doing this to her. This is his default, go-to tactic when dealing with women who make him feel 'less of a man'. Every time she outshines him from now on, he will make it his mission to knock her down. She needs to divorce him and never look back. He's poison to a partner and if she stays, he will diminish her until she's on her knees, making herself smaller to feed his overblown ego. He's a gross narcissist.

Maybe OP should introduce her husband as "one who designs such-and-such", which would make him look like less than an engineer (yeah, I'm petty); that would give him a taste of his own medicine!

"Hi, I'm a marine biologist, and this is my first husband."

Definitely NTA. OP's husband is being very disrespectful.

Embarrass him every time he does this and tell him it’s really funny when he protests. But the real problem is he is threatened by your career. It was ok when you were a nurse because that’s a pink collar job but his masculinity is threatened by your current job. This marriage is in trouble because there’s a lot of contempt here.

There's definitely some jealousy about her having such a unique profession. Perhaps when she introduces him, she can just say he does "some kind of fabrication".

The sea was angry that day, my friends!

Hi I'm a marine biologist, this is my husband frank. He pokes around stuff.

I would introduce him as a spanner tech hahha

How hard is it to say "Meet my wife. She's a marine biologist."? He probably feels a inferior now with his engineering degree. I hope she starts introducing him as her first husband.

Since engineering is a broad field make a joke with his job. "this is my husband, he drives trains or something"

There seems to be something more going on here. The article doesn’t say whether or not the wife took a large pay cut to start her new career and maybe the husband resents it. Nursing pays a lot more since Covid, over 100K to start in my area. It sounds like they didn’t discuss the consequences of starting a new career. I don’t think we know the whole story.

Hey, George Costanza was proud to pretend to be a marine biologist! (Though of course he would've preferred that Jerry had said he was an architect.)

Oh, I'd probably get all wiseass and correct him saying the big words stump him. And then day them slowly. He’s doing it to undermine you. He’s mocking and cruel and insulting. Give it back in doses he can’t take.

NTA. I always wonder why can’t men show off their wives with their great achievements or accomplishments, proudly to others? It will make him look awesome. Rather they belittle their wives before others thinking tht they are showing off themselves in more value than the wives, but in reality they are embarrassing themselves disrespecting the wife. They are showing themselves in bad light. Can’t really help their egoistic minds and attitudes. Give respect and take respect idiom came into being seeing such a******s. U got to take charge and belittle him in reverse. And the excuse he is giving, saying he can’t remember the details… oh my god cant tell u how ridiculous that sounds. Is he really working as an engineer or he works as janitor or something and lying to u, as he is not able to remember simple 2 English words. U got to verify his job. Finally to tell u the fact, HE IS DOING IT ON PURPOSE AS IT GIVES HIM THE KICK BELITTLING YOU. He doesn’t want to remember those words period.