What Does "Well to do" Mean in Personal Ads?

Prosperous; comfortably off.

Type	Historical phrase
Earliest example in the archive	October 11, 1905, Evening Statesman
Most common	1850s to the 1920s

History

Well to do was a modest way to describe your own finances, and it usually came alongside character words. The 1905 farmer in Walla Walla called himself honorable, intelligent, well to do.

In the archive

Evening Statesman · October 11, 1905A farmer, 45, seeks a wife not over 40
HONORABLE, INTELLIGENT, WELL to do farmer, widower, aged 45, wishes the acquaintance of a lady not over 40. Object matrimony. Address by letter, J. W. care Statesman.

Related terms

Of means Refined

How to cite this entry

“Well to do.” The Personals Dictionary, AseeksB, 2026, https://www.aseeksb.com/dictionary/well-to-do.html.

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