Etymology

always a bridesmaid, never a bride

Today it means: Said of a person who has potential that is never fulfilled. Full definition →

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The story

Title of an English music-hall song (1917) by Charles Collins. Later used in an advertisement in the US for Listerine mouthwash (implying that the use of mouthwash could improve a woman's chances of marriage).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.