LL-L "Etymology" 2011.01.26 (04) [EN]

[Lowlands-L List]

=====================================================
L O W L A N D S - L - 26 January 2011 - Volume 04
lowlands.list at gmail.com - http://lowlands-l.net/
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org
Archive: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-08)
Language Codes: lowlands-l.net/codes.php
=====================================================



From: heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk <heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk>
Subject: Re: LL-L "Etymology" 2011.01.26 (03) [NL-NDS]

from Heather Rendall  heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk

In English 'clout' = piece of cloth OED gives it as being related to OE clut
 (M)LG, MDu Klut(e) ON Klutr

"Ne'er cast a clout til May is out" is an old proverb meaning - don't take
off your (winter/ warm) clothing until May is past i.e. it can be very cold
still in May.

Up to very recent times children in particular but people in general were
sown into winter clothing c October/ early November: chests were plastered
in goose grease: brown paper was then wrapped round the  body over the
grease; then a long sleeved vest and then a shirt were put on over the top
and the necks of the two were sewn together and tight round the neck. These
items would stay on until the warm weather allowed their removal. I've been
told by someone I used to teach with that within a short time you could
watch the children in class literally moving with crawling lice etc!!!! And
the smell by Spring time can now only be imagined. She said that vest and
shirt were also often sewn to long underpants - necessitating both front and
back flies! And her memories of this are as recent as the late 50s.

I bet teachers welcomed an early Spring and early advent of warm weather, so
the class could cast their clouts.

best wishes

Heather



=========================================================
Send posting submissions to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
Send commands (including "signoff lowlands-l") to
listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands.list at gmail.com
http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=118916521473498<http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#%21/group.php?gid=118916521473498>
===============================================================
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20110126/b219bfc0/attachment.htm>