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Make an honest woman of me.

Posted by Gary Martin on January 04, 2001

In Reply to: Make an honest woman of me. posted by R. Hill on January 04, 2001

: I must know the meaning of this saying and its origin. Please help! Thank you in advance!

To marry a woman you have been living with as your wife, so that she no longer needs to lie and pretend she is married.

It originated at a time when such concerns were taken more seriously than now when the phrase is usually used lightheartedly.

Fielding used it in Tom Jones in 1749 - "Miss Nancy was, in vulgar language, soon made an honest woman."

The nature of the quotation implies that the phrase was already in use then.

Gary

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