# Word from old newspaper clipping-- "cblige"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 14, 2024, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-from-old-newspaper-clipping-cblige/1000286 "2024-04-14T19:58:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-from-old-newspaper-clipping-cblige/1000286/1 "2024-04-14T19:58:10Z")
In this Buzzfeed list, in number 27, letters to Santa from 1897, one kid wants some candy and cblige. “Cblige” is obviously a typo, but I haven’t been able to think up what it was _supposed_ to be. > **[You Won't Believe Your Eyes When You See These 55 Old Photos That Are Simply...](https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahmarder/old-photos-that-are-so-wild-to-see-now)** > > Treadmills were basically invented as a way to punish criminals. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-from-old-newspaper-clipping-cblige/1000286/2 "2024-04-14T20:06:29Z")
I’m thinking it might be oblige and it was a quick way of saying thanks. _“I want a target gun and some candy and oblige”_ Some people did sign off requests with _“Much obliged”_ I looked at the type face and the c and o are pretty similar and part of the o might not have printed leaving it looking like an c. [![](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2024-04/9/20/asset/46658384a0eb/sub-buzz-2407-1712696315-3.jpg?downsize=600:*&output-format=auto&output-quality=auto) ](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2024-04/9/20/asset/46658384a0eb/sub-buzz-2407-1712696315-3.jpg?downsize=600:*&output-format=auto&output-quality=auto) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-from-old-newspaper-clipping-cblige/1000286/3 "2024-04-14T20:14:17Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’m thinking it might be oblige and it was a quick way of saying thanks. Ah, that makes sense. I was stuck on it being a thing of some type. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-from-old-newspaper-clipping-cblige/1000286/4 "2024-04-14T20:14:38Z")
It looks like “and oblige” might have been a common closing for a business letter at that time. > **[Old Fashioned Closings To Letters](https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/212044-old-fashioned-closings-to-letters/)** > > Does anyone have a list of various closing lines to letters that are no longer used from past ages? Always your humble servant, Josh ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-from-old-newspaper-clipping-cblige/1000286/5 "2024-04-14T20:34:10Z")
Sorted. 👍 ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-from-old-newspaper-clipping-cblige/1000286/6 "2024-04-14T20:46:56Z")
Interesting that all the kids spelled Santa Claus correctly while the headline writer did not. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2024, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-from-old-newspaper-clipping-cblige/1000286/7 "2024-04-15T06:31:45Z")
I must note that Eli P. Evans, despite being a good boy, requested a coal bucket. Presumably, in case he is a bad boy next year. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2024, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-from-old-newspaper-clipping-cblige/1000286/8 "2024-04-15T10:26:32Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > all the kids spelled Santa Claus correctly while the headline writer did not. HA! I totally missed that.