What is 'mixed company'?

[boognish76]

Everyone I've asked says it means mixed sex company, but I seem to think it originally meant a gathering of people, some of which you know informally or very well and some of which you know formally or not very well. I don't know where I got this idea from and I can't find any clarification on the net either way. Am I totally deluded or can anyone back up my theory?

[sft42]

I get the feeling this is an expression which will have different connotations in various parts of the country...in Ulster it means having company from both religions so mind your P's & Q's when expressing political opinions...but in glasgow I would take it more to mean that there are a different social mix in the group than would be normal, indicating that you should mind your manners and keep your elbows off the table.

[Quizmonster]

The earliest use of the phrase 'mixed company' - from the early 1700s - meant a group consisting of individuals of differing birth, rank or character...ie not confined to one 'class'. The commonest modern meaning of the phrase is, however, a company of both males and females, a meaning which had appeared just a few years after the date I suggested above for the other. They are both, therefore, more or less equally old, but - apart from difficult social situations such as those described in Sft's answer - it is almost invariably nowadays a gender thing.

[Andromeda]

Interesting. At home we either mean a mixture of 'young'uns' and 'old'uns' or differing social / attitudes. Most commonly used as I don't do that (swear, tell risque jokes etc.) in mixed company.

Andy