Darby and Joan

Posted by R. Berg on February 19, 2005

In Reply to: Derby and Joan posted by Peter Goldsmith on February 18, 2005

: Does anyone know the origin of Derby and Joan.

it's Darby and Joan. The Oxford English Dictionary traces it to a song or poem published in a magazine in 1735 but says the names may have been taken from an earlier work.

• Darby and Joan Serge Liberman 19/February/05