ProverbWisdomEnglish origin18th c.

Her face was her fortune.

Meaning: Beauty alone sustained her livelihood and social position, making her appearance her primary asset.

Origin: From the old nursery rhyme "Where are you going, my pretty maid?", known before 1790. Asked what her fortune is, the milkmaid answers, "My face is my fortune, sir" — and when the suitor says he cannot marry her, she replies, "Nobody asked you, sir."

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