LOL, I've never done Crossfit myself, but I know where your wife is coming from. I've spent time reading Crossfit forums in the past and it does sound like chatter from cult members. They have all this jargon and everyone is practically boasting of how many times they threw up during their last workout! It's like doing penance or those self-flagellation cults or something.

That said, Crossfit is part of that newer emphasis on more functional strength and fitness exercises combined with the intense cardio of circuit training and that seems like a good change from more traditional cardio and strength machines. You just need to really listen to your body when starting out and not let the typical gung ho Crossfit attitude push you into hurting yourself before you've even really had a chance to get into it.

Good luck with that, BTW. If you can stick with it, you should get into great shape.