Everyday lifeMyths & disputes

honeymoon

Honeymoon is plain English: the first month of marriage is the sweetest, and like the moon it begins to wane as soon as it is full. The 'holiday after the wedding' sense came about 1800, and the idea was translated piece by piece into French, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic and Turkish.

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The story you may have heard

In ancient Babylon the bride's father gave the groom a month's supply of honey mead. No ancient source records this; the story is modern.

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1546English

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.

honeymoon

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