ASKING FOR HER HAND

When a man proposes to a woman, why does he ask for her hand in marriage? Certainly there are more interesting body parts. And indeed more essential ones if you plan to go on a honeymoon.

How did this custom get started? Did some proper behavior maven decide that it would be gauche to ask for the whole person?

Did some dippy focus group, with no expertise and few credentials, run through a list of other areas and arbitrarily rule them out?

Let's see … one could ask for her shoulder in marriage. How about her back, her wrist, her elbow, leg, ankle, nose, heel, toe, neck, thigh, breast.

"Sir, I've fallen deeply in love with your daughter and I'm asking for her ass in marriage."

Suddenly the hand is making a lot of sense.

@#$%*@

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