A phrase from historical newspaper personal ads, explained with real examples from the archive.
Clean living: no drinking, gambling or bad company.
| Type | Historical language |
|---|---|
| Category | Description |
| Earliest example in the archive | October 17, 1882, Sedalia Weekly Bazoo |
| Most common | 1860s to the 1910s |
Habits were a respectable way of describing character. A young man of moral habits was telling readers he did not drink or carouse, which mattered in an era of strong temperance feeling. The 1882 ad in the archive, sent from a New Mexico mining town, leads with it.
WANTED—A young man of moral habits wishes a young lady correspondent. Object matrimony. Address, S. Martin, Silver City, New Mexico.
The modern descendants are the habit codes NS, ND and SD.
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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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