# Dopers who lived together before marriage

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-lived-together-before-marriage/584368>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 5, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-lived-together-before-marriage/584368 "2011-06-05T04:18:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Tracyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f14d63/32.png) [@Tracyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracyfish)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-lived-together-before-marriage/584368/41 "2011-06-06T20:50:26Z")

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> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#):
>
> Question: what the hell was the point of this tradition anyway? When/why did it start?

I had a book of superstitions when I was a kid that explained it. People used to think that stepping through the doorway to a new house with your left foot first caused bad luck. If I’m remembering right, women couldn’t be trusted to put their right foot first, so men started just carrying them over the threshold. I can’t find anything to confirm that, though.

ETA: I owned my place for a couple of years before \*\*Least Original User Name Ever \*\*came along.

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**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-lived-together-before-marriage/584368/42 "2011-06-06T21:48:13Z")

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> [@Tracyfish](#):
>
> I had a book of superstitions when I was a kid that explained it. People used to think that stepping through the doorway to a new house with your left foot first caused bad luck. If I’m remembering right, women couldn’t be trusted to put their right foot first, so men started just carrying them over the threshold. I can’t find anything to confirm that, though.
> 
> ETA: I owned my place for a couple of years before \*\*Least Original User Name Ever \*\*came along.

Sup.

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-lived-together-before-marriage/584368/43 "2011-06-07T04:27:11Z")

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> [@Tracyfish](#):
>
> I had a book of superstitions when I was a kid that explained it. People used to think that stepping through the doorway to a new house with your left foot first caused bad luck. If I’m remembering right, women couldn’t be trusted to put their right foot first, so men started just carrying them over the threshold. I can’t find anything to confirm that, though.

That is exactly what I’ve read too. But it’s the first step over the threshhold in your new life together that is crucial; otherwise, you’d have to be carrying her over each time. Don’t want to get started “on the wrong foot,” heh. 😃

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**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-lived-together-before-marriage/584368/44 "2011-06-07T07:54:06Z")

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We did it ironically. Does that count?

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