Etymology

agony aunt

Today it means: Synonym of advice columnist, a writer of an advice column in a newspaper or other periodical, especially an actually or assumed female writer of such a column. Full definition →

First used 1974
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The story

From the much earlier British term agony column, initially used for personal columns and then for advice columns, and the informal use of aunt for any older female fictive kin.

First known use, by meaning

  • 1974 Synonym of advice columnist, a writer of an advice column in a newspaper or other periodical, especially an actually or assumed female writer of such a column.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.