What is the origin of the phrase May-December romance?
The stuff Hollywood gossip columns are made of. Not to mention plenty of sappy movies and romance novels. It didn’t start with Ashton and Demi, but the 27-year-old groom and 42-year-old bride could be the poster couple for May-December romances. The term refers to a romantic pairing where one person is significantly older than the other. The age difference is at least a decade, but often more. The phrase comes from the younger person being in the “spring” of his or her life (i.e., May), while the older partner is in his or her “winter” (i.e., December). Despite the gold-digger and boy-toy clichs, May-December relationships are pretty common throughout history. British royalty often paired up differently aged partners based on family trees and political needs. Even modern arranged marriages can have a large age difference within the couple. These days, the politically correct term seems to be “age-gap relationships,” and they’re not just for movie stars. Just make sure to do some carefu
