The meaning of some terms and phrases changes over time or from one region to another. “Grass widow” is one of those phrases. It can mean a woman whose husband is temporarily away from home–perhaps for an extended period of time for employment. It can also mean a woman who is actually divorced and who does not want to refer to herself as being divorced. Dictionaries can be one place to discover these differences, but dictionaries are not perfect. Searching contemporary newspapers or literature can be a good way to get a better fix on what a word or a phrase means at the time and place where you have seen it used.
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From a while back… Some locations have precise geographic borders. Those borders may change over time, but often are reasonably well-established. Some places, particularly those whose names are informal and known to locals, may have more fluid boundaries or just be a general area. Ethnic regions of some urban areas can change over time and have boundaries that are in a constant state of flux or have no precise definition. In some rural areas, certain areas may have a name that known to locals but does not appear on any map, post office list, or other geographic finding aid. Frequently these items are mentioned in newspapers, family letters and correspondence, and other unofficial records. Some thoughts on locating such places can be found in our recent post on Prairie […]
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