Unique dating rules from the '30s, '40s, and '50s

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Dating in the modern age is a minefield, especially in the digital era with apps, texting, and entirely new codes of technological behavior in the mix. There are a lot of things to think about—you have to pick the right platforms, figure out how to properly construct your profile to attract the right kind of people, and not fall for any false advertisements. You also have to navigate texting (how soon is too soon to reply?), cope with the inevitability of being ghosted, and deal with a lot of things that are separate from actually meeting someone.

Because of all these new complications, we seem to have a romanticized idea of dating in the past. In our collective imagination, romance "back then" was filled with meet-cutes, chivalry was alive and well, and there was an added air of mystery because you couldn't stalk a person's entire digital history online. Plus, you could lie about your age! 

But in all seriousness, dating in the 21st century is nothing compared to the strict social codes permeating the first half of the 20th century. Magazine columns and entire books were dedicated to teaching young folks the proper etiquette when it came to courting and being courted. While very detailed and highly regarded at the time, those guides have not aged well in the least.

From shockingly sexist gender roles to hilariously ridiculous things that were considered in "bad taste," nearly every single one of these rules should be broken in today's age. You may be surprised at how far we've come since the 1930s, '40s, and even '50s, though it's equally surprising just how many people relied upon these guides to determine another person's character.

Check out this gallery to see the most bizarre etiquette rules from not-long-ago-enough, and revel in the dating freedom we have today.

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Dating in the modern age is a minefield, especially in the digital era with apps, texting, and entirely new codes of technological behavior in the mix. There are a lot of things to think about—you have to pick the right platforms, figure out how to properly construct your profile to attract the right kind of people, and not fall for any false advertisements. You also have to navigate texting (how soon is too soon to reply?), cope with the inevitability of being ghosted, and deal with a lot of things that are separate from actually meeting someone.

Because of all these new complications, we seem to have a romanticized idea of dating in the past. In our collective imagination, romance "back then" was filled with meet-cutes, chivalry was alive and well, and there was an added air of mystery because you couldn't stalk a person's entire digital history online. Plus, you could lie about your age! 

But in all seriousness, dating in the 21st century is nothing compared to the strict social codes permeating the first half of the 20th century. Magazine columns and entire books were dedicated to teaching young folks the proper etiquette when it came to courting and being courted. While very detailed and highly regarded at the time, those guides have not aged well in the least.

From shockingly sexist gender roles to hilariously ridiculous things that were considered in "bad taste," nearly every single one of these rules should be broken in today's age. You may be surprised at how far we've come since the 1930s, '40s, and even '50s, though it's equally surprising just how many people relied upon these guides to determine another person's character.

Check out this gallery to see the most bizarre etiquette rules from not-long-ago-enough, and revel in the dating freedom we have today.

The man always orders

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Whether he’s your father, brother, or boyfriend. In addition, the woman can never independently ask the waiter for anything.

Don't order fruit

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Apparently it's "embarrassing."

Don't order fish

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

It is apparently too "difficult to manage."

Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

It’s in bad taste to leave lipstick on a glass or a napkin. But do wear lipstick!

Certain foods require entirely different manners

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

For instance, you should never use a fork and knife with asparagus.

Spare chairs are not for your use

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Neither your coat, hat, handbag, nor gloves should be placed on the totally empty chair serving absolutely no purpose. Instead, your coat goes on the back of your chair, and the rest on your lap.

If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Because it’s humiliating for them, and you wouldn't want to make them feel bad for spilling scalding soup on your favorite outfit.

Cheese should never be eaten with a fork

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

You must always cut off a small piece and "place it carefully on to a small piece of bread," with a constant emphasis on the "small."

The woman leaves the restaurant first

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

She just has to trust that the man is following behind her.

Wear a bra

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

But, surprisingly, only on the condition that you need one.

Don’t sit in awkward positions

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

It should be noted that the magazine's example of awkward was a woman with her legs uncrossed and her arm resting on the armrest. How "mannish" and awkward!

Do your dressing in your boudoir

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Why? "To keep your allure." Makeup must also be applied in privacy, so as to keep the illusion that your lips are actually that red.

Meet the parents on the first date

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Getting introduced to your partner's parents can be a pretty big step in a relationship. In the '50s, however, it was customary for girls to introduce all dates to their parents first.

Don't talk about clothes

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Because all men apparently hate clothes, and a woman should "please and flatter" her man by talking about the things he wants to talk about.

Don't talk about yourself

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

In her 1939 book 'How to Win and Hold a Husband,' Dorothy Dix puts it bluntly: "Don’t talk too much and, above all, don’t talk about yourself, ever. Men have a horror of girls who babble on forever and ever like a brook. Men like to talk about themselves and what they want is an intelligent listener."

Absolutely no public displays of affection

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Any show of affection is in bad taste and will embarrass or humiliate him—because men hate being touched, right?

If you have no luck in your country, go to another one

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Dix adds: "Before succumbing to the inevitable she might give herself one more chance by making a change in her environment. Many a girl who is a social failure at home is a success abroad."

Don't drink too much

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

This is still pretty standard today, but the reason ruins it: "A man expects you to keep your dignity … drinking may make some girls clever, but most get silly."

The last straw?

The man always orders, Don't order fruit, Don't order fish, Wipe lipstick marks from your glass before leaving, Certain foods require entirely different manners, Spare chairs are not for your use, If the waiter spills something on you, don’t react, Cheese should never be eaten with a fork, The woman leaves the restaurant first, Wear a bra, Don’t sit in awkward positions, Do your dressing in your boudoir, Meet the parents on the first date, Don't talk about clothes, Don't talk about yourself, Absolutely no public displays of affection, If you have no luck in your country, go to another one, Don't drink too much, The last straw?

Don't pass out from too much liquor! "Chances are your date will never call again."

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