‘Men should date women half their age plus seven’: The strange dating rule that dates back to 1901 | The Independent interview

By Chelsea Ritschel

Ever heard of the rule that men should date women who are half their age plus seven? Relationship expert Susan Winter says, “I find it amusing that there’s an equation for the ‘optimal’ age gap in love.”

Some celebrities – think Leonardo Di Caprio – take this to extremes with a roster of 20-something models regularly appearing on their arm, but do you know where the saying comes from?

It turns out to be relatively well established, dating back more than 100 years to […]