Idiom
Darby and Joan
SlangCockney rhyming slang
Meaning
moan
Examples
“My grandparents are a classic Darby and Joan couple.”
“After fifty years of marriage, they are a true Darby and Joan, rarely seen apart at the local park.”
“The elderly pair lived as a devoted Darby and Joan, finding quiet contentment in their shared routines and long, peaceful walks.”
Examples
simple
“My grandparents are a classic Darby and Joan couple.”
contextual
“After fifty years of marriage, they are a true Darby and Joan, rarely seen apart at the local park.”
complex
“The elderly pair lived as a devoted Darby and Joan, finding quiet contentment in their shared routines and long, peaceful walks.”
Origin
The names John Darby and his wife Joan first entered the public record in 1735. They were the subjects of a poem by Henry Woodfall, published in The Gentleman's Magazine, which established the pair as a literary shorthand for a long-married and mutually devoted couple.
Key words
Related idioms
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