A phrase from historical newspaper personal ads, explained with real examples from the archive.
The classic opening of a missed connection: a question addressed to someone the writer saw but did not speak to.
| Type | Historical language |
|---|---|
| Category | Formula |
| Earliest example in the archive | May 27, 1877, Chicago Daily Tribune |
| Most common | 1860s to the 1920s |
Will the lady who, or will the gentleman who, followed by a place, a time, and a detail of dress, is the grammar of the missed connection. The archive has them on streetcars, in a drug store, and in a box at the opera. The details did the work: a lavender dress on the Farnam Street car, a bouquet of pink roses on the Navy Yard line.
A CARD.—If the Lady who a Gentleman handed into her carriage from Covent Garden Theatre, on Wednesday, the third of this month, will oblige the Advertiser with a line to…
A LADY who passed a Gentleman on Monday, the 17th of this month, in Hart-street, Bloomsbury, about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, without speaking to him, is anxious for an…
PERSONAL—FRIDAY, 5 P. M. WILL LADY IN black in drug store who recognized gents on corner send address to A 16, Tribune office.
A milkman is in love with a hired girl who lives on Jarvis street. She is about medium height and weight, dark, and say 21 years old. If she should recognize the…
WILL THE LADY WHO ON THURSday evening bowed to gentleman in Welton street car, whom she had not seen for several months, please send her address to "C-B," postoffice box…
WILL YOUNG LADY WHO WORE BOUQUET OF pink roses on navy-yard car, and got off at 8th and G sts. s.e., at 6 p.m. April 24th, communicate with gentleman who sat just in…
WILL YOUNG LADY WHO, FRIDAY EVENING about 8 o'clock, rode in 14th. st. car with a gentleman from L st. and changed for Georgetown, and who noticed gentleman seated in…
WILL the lady who sat in the first balcony of the Tabor Grand last Saturday night and received business card from gentleman please reply to this and give address?…
WILL the lady who proposed to meet gent sitting at left entrance of hotel send him her address? He desires much to meet her; it was a blunder.
WILL lady with dark eyes and red dress, on Elitch car Friday 4·15 p. m. send address to J-166, News.
PERSONAL—Will gentleman who smiled at lady Sunday afternoon going home from Chutes park, address O-225, News.
WILL the gentleman who accepted the loan of opera glasses from lady sitting in second balcony, last row, Columbia Theater matinee, March 14, communicate with box 317,…
WILL the tall gentleman who sat opposite brunette young lady on Park avenue car Saturday about four p. m. address U. 56, care Bee.
WILL the gentleman who sat in a box at the Valencia theater last Thurs. evening communicate with H. R. as soon as possible. Important news awaits him.
WILL the lady who occupied, with others, the second box from the stage on the right hand side of the second floor of the Tivoli, on the evening of Sunday, the 12th day…
WILL the gentleman who so kindly assisted lady who fell from a westbound McAllister streetcar near Fulton street and 2d av. at 8 o'clock p. m. March 25, 1913, please…
WILL THE LADY wearing black skirt and white waist who got off Pullman Santa Fe train No. 9 at Ashfork Sept. 3rd and took branch train to Phoenix kindly send her name and…
WILL the lady who talked with gentleman at oil station and lost her purse address Box 861, City. d
The form carried straight through to the missed connections sections of alt-weeklies and Craigslist, and it survives in apps that offer a missed connections category today.
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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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