Turn him down

Posted by RRC on July 14, 2009 at 19:51

In Reply to: Turn him down posted by Bob Queenan on July 14, 2009 at 17:16:

: I've recently read that the phrase "turn him down" comes from an 1800s custom for marriage proposals - that a man proposed by looking into a hand mirror and then offering it to his intended. If she looked in - joined their images - and put it down face up, she accepted. If, however, she put it down face down - turned him down - she did not accept. True? Legend? Fantasy?

etymonline.com has a date of 1891 for "turn down" in the sense of reject.
If there had been such a tradition as recently as the 1800's, I would expect there to be more record of it, e.g. in novels by Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters, etc.
Also, if there had been such a tradition, I'm wondering where the hand mirror would come in to the story. Did the young gentlemen carry it down the street to his intended's house? Did a man wishing to propose break into a lady's boudoir in order to obtain it? ;-)