Mail Order
Preserved but no longer current.
The carrying on of business by post, that is of receiving orders and cash by post and sending on the goods purchased by the customer also by post, grew to enormous dimensions in U.S.A. where, in great agricul- tural areas, it was the only method whereby people could obtain other than the mere necessaries of life.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Mail Order” mean?
The carrying on of business by post, that is of receiving orders and cash by post and sending on the goods purchased by the customer also by post, grew to enormous dimensions in U.S.A. where, in great agricul- tural areas, it was the only method whereby people could obtain other than the mere necessaries of life.
Is “Mail Order” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.