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 phrase |
|---|---|
| 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…
All dictionary entries · The Personals Archive · How to write a personal ad
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