Dear John letter

A "Dear John letter" is a letter written, originally to a soldier overseas, by his wife or girlfriend to inform him their relationship is over, usually because the author has found another lover.

Origin and etymology

While the exact origins of the phrase are unknown, it is commonly believed to have been coined by Americans during World War II. Large numbers of American troops were stationed overseas for many months or years, and as time passed many of their wives or girlfriends decided to begin a relationship with a new man rather than to wait for the original one to return.

As letters to servicemen from wives or girlfriends back home would typically contain affectionate language (such as "Dear Johnny", "My dearest John", or simply "Darling"), a serviceman receiving a note beginning with a curt "Dear John" would instantly be aware of the letter's purpose.

A writer in the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, New York, summed it up in August 1945:

An early reference to Dear John letters was made in a United Press article of March 21, 1944.

Dear John

Dear John may refer to:

Film and television

Literature

Music

Dear John (UK TV series)

Dear John was a British sitcom, written by John Sullivan. Two series and a special were broadcast between 1986 and 1987.

This sitcom's title refers to letters - known as "Dear John" letters - from girls to their boyfriends breaking off a relationship. John discovers in the opening episode that his wife is leaving him for a friend, and he is forced to find lodgings. In desperation, he attends the 1-2-1 Singles Club and finds other members mostly social misfits.

In 1988, an American adaptation of Dear John was produced by Paramount for the NBC network. That series lasted for four seasons.

Characters

Major characters

Speak Now

Speak Now is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 25, 2010, by Big Machine Records. Production for the album took place during 2009 to 2010 at several recording studios, and was handled by Swift and Nathan Chapman. Written entirely by Swift as the follow-up to Fearless, Speak Now expands on the country pop style of her previous work, and features lyrical themes including love, romance and heartbreak.

Speak Now received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented Swift's songwriting and themes. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Album, making it her second consecutive nomination in the category, following her 2010 victory for Fearless. Several music critics and publications included Speak Now in their year-end lists. Six singles were released from the album, all of which have either received a platinum or multi-platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Swift promoted the album with the Speak Now World Tour, which became the third highest grossing tour of all time by a country artist, grossing over $123 million.