A phrase from historical newspaper personal ads, explained with real examples from the archive.
Well mannered, cultured and respectable; a word of social standing as much as personality.
| Type | Historical language |
|---|---|
| Category | Description |
| Earliest example in the archive | August 30, 1912, San Francisco Call |
| Most common | 1860s to the 1920s |
Refined appears on both sides of these ads: a refined widow, a refined young gentleman. It signaled education, manners and respectability, and in the early twentieth century it was one of the most common self-descriptions in the personal column.
REFINED widow, 42, excellent housekeeper, fine cook, desires to meet elderly gentleman of sufficient means to provide comfortable home; object matrimony. Address box…
INTELLIGENT YOUNG LADY, 25 years of age, brunette, taller than medium height, considered attractive, both in personality and appearance, refined and musical, would like…
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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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