A phrase from historical newspaper personal ads, explained with real examples from the archive.
To court: to go out together regularly as a couple.
| Type | Historical language |
|---|---|
| Category | Period vocabulary |
| Earliest example in the archive | November 8, 1920, Arizona Republican (Phoenix) |
| Most common | 1880s to the 1940s |
To keep company was to go together regularly, as close companions or as a courting couple, and in personal ads it meant courtship. In November 1920, a working man of 40, employed and “of small means,” advertised in the Arizona Republican to keep company with a working woman of suitable age, “object, matrimony.”
Sources: Merriam-Webster, keep company.
WORKING MAN of small means, 40, employed, would like to keep company with working woman of suitable age; object, matrimony. Box 1B, Republican. r
Dating, or seeing someone.
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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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