If we ignore, for a moment, the stereotypical and sexist connotations of the name, we discover that Old Maid has a fascinating history. And most dictionaries carry one more meaning for it: “A child’s card game.” Used as early as 1761 for the title of a play by Irishman Arthur Murphy, it also means an unpopped kernel in a pot of popcorn. The term “old maid” is English and means an unmarried childless woman or spinster. Illustrated detail from Old Maid card game, about 1890, Milton Bradley Company.ĭid you play card games as a child? If so, you probably played a version of Old Maid.
