A phrase from historical newspaper personal ads, explained with real examples from the archive.
Open to marriage, and looking for someone who is too.
| Type | Historical language |
|---|---|
| Category | Formula |
| Earliest example in the archive | December 11, 1898, Seattle Post-Intelligencer |
| Most common | 1890s to the 1910s |
A slightly more romantic cousin of object matrimony. Instead of stating a goal, it described a mood: the writer was inclined toward marriage and hoped the reader was as well. The 1898 ad in the archive pairs it with a request for a partner with some capital, which gives the phrase a practical edge.
AM A NEW YORK MAN, young, good-looking, clever; returned this week from Atlin solely for purpose meeting young maiden or widow matrimonially inclined with some capital…
The modern equivalents are marriage-minded and LTR.
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How this fits into 170 years of personal ad shorthand: From Object Matrimony to LTR: How Personal Ads Learned to Talk in Code.
All dictionary entries · The Personals Archive · How to write a personal ad
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