"Don't Marry!"

[John Hartwell]

From 1891, so, a little late for us, but good advice is always worth a look-see.

Don't Marry, by James W. Donovan​

I must say I don't quite get the drift of "Don't Mitten a Mechanic."

 

[diane]

Don't mitten a mechanic! There's an oldie for sure. To 'give the mitten' was to reject somebody, well, out of hand! Guess the advice was don't dump the guy just because he's a working stiff!

 

[luinrina]

So after the list of who not to marry, who's left to chose from?

 

[diane]

So after the list of who not to marry, who's left to chose from?

Had to show that to my daughter and she said, "Well, heck...I already eloped with a little drunken spendthrift clown!"

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Had to show that to my daughter and she said, "Well, heck...I already eloped with a little drunken spendthrift clown!"

Wish I'd run into that list a lot of years ago too. Could have leap frogged over a few cranky clowns and saved a lot of annoyance.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

And what's "Don't Marry Odd Sizes?"

 

[PrivateBrooke]

Don't marry and live alone. It'll be a blast!

 

[John Hartwell]

And what's "Don't Marry Odd Sizes?"

According to the book, it's "just for the look of the thing":

 

[PrivateBrooke]

So find someone at least marginally close to your own height, in other words?

 

[JOHN42768]

"Don't Mitten a Mechanic." Guess they thought the new invention of horseless carriage in Europe was going to be a flash in the pan. No steady work in that field

 

[John Hartwell]

"Don't Mitten a Mechanic." Guess they thought the new invention of horseless carriage in Europe was going to be a flash in the pan. No steady work in that field

Back then any artisan or craftsman who worked with tools was a mechanic: virtually any kind of skilled manual work. Blacksmith, cabinetmaker, machinist, were all mechanics. Respectable, just not as respectable as someone who followed a profession (and never had dirty knuckles).

 

[Cavalry Charger]

LOL to so many of these

'Don't marry a clown' ... poor guys have such a bad reputation.
'Don't marry a dude ... didn't know that was even a word back in the day!

'Don't marry too hastilly'
'Don't be too slow about it'
Not sure what the ideal timeline is there ...

'Don't marry for an ideal marriage'
'Don't expect too much in marriage'
Well, the dampeners are well and truly on now.

If that's not a paralysing list of cautions, I don't know what is ...

He has forgotten that 'love is blind' and 'no one is perfect' !

I better stop there or I could find myself talking in cliches all day

 

[PrivateBrooke]

LOL to so many of these

'Don't marry a clown' ... poor guys have such a bad reputation.
'Don't marry a dude ... didn't know that was even a word back in the day!

Apparently in the 1870's it meant a "well dressed male" or "city-slicker"