Meanings
phrase
- idiomaticA phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones.
It is recorded that Mrs. Parker and a snooty debutante were both going in to supper at a party: the debutante made elaborate way, saying sweetly "Age before beauty, Mrs. Parker." "And pearls before swine," said Mrs. Parker, sweeping in.
1938 September 16, John Carter, “Best Sellers and the Atlantic”, in The Spectator, page 448
Translations
German Alter vor Schönheit
- Alter vor SchönheitTranslations
Polish starsi przodem
- starsi przodemTranslations
Russian Молодым везде́ у нас дорога, старикам везде́ у нас почёт
- Молодым везде́ у нас дорога, старикам везде́ у нас почёт (Molodym vezdé u nas doroga, starikam vezdé u nas počót)Translations
Cite this entry
APA
age before beauty. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/age%20before%20beauty
MLA
“age before beauty.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/age%20before%20beauty. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “age before beauty,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/age%20before%20beauty.
Source: age before beauty on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.