Old Sayings,Anecdotes,Related to Wildlife

[SparklySarah]

Originally Posted by david156

My canon isn't that dangerous. The only thing I shot today was some seals.
Will post some pictures that I shot later

**groan** ha ha ha!! That's terrible..... We can't use that canon either, don't thing they had them in 1370!!! lol xxx

[Cheryl]

Originally Posted by sunnydale

How embarrassing! I always thought a 'clout' was a coat!

I always thought a "clout" was a vest (as in an undergarment) It seems to be Old English for a bit of cloth so maybe we are on the right track

[Beekeeper]

Originally Posted by posie

Ian, do you know of the local 'Cuckoo Fair'?

Hi Posie, heard of it but no idea what it is all about

Ian

[Beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Cheryl

That wasn't in Wales was it? Apparently in Wales an indication of strong winds is given by Ravens and crows flapping their wings and flying at great heights, while sunshine will follow if they are seen flying towards the sun

Right - I'm putting my book away

No Cheryl, in the New Forest in Hampshire.

Ian

[Beekeeper]

Originally Posted by tcvarlh

I don't think casting clouts had 'owt to do with shedding clothing, most folks only had one set of clothes and kept them on day in-day out. I think the clout was the soil and it is an admonishment not to plant until the soil was warm enough. Taking the old Julian calendar this makes sense! The saying is heard ALL over England but clothes were not called clouts here or down south but sods were!

You are correct with the soil suggestion tcvarlh, my mother used to use that expression.

Ian

[posie]

Originally Posted by david156

Hi all.
Might not have anything to do with archery. Just found this on the internet

"Origin

'Ne'er cast a clout till May be out' is an English proverb. The earliest citation is this version of the rhyme from Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732, although it probably existed in word-of-mouth form well before that:

"Leave not off a Clout Till May be out.

Meaning

Let's look first at the 'cast a clout' part. The word 'clout', although archaic, is straightforward. Since at least the early 15th century 'clout' has been used variously to mean 'a blow to the head', 'a clod of earth or (clotted) cream' or 'a fragment of cloth, or clothing'. It is the last of these that is meant in 'cast a clout'. This was spelled variously spelled as clowt, clowte, cloot, clute. Here's an early example, from the Early English Miscellanies in Prose and Verse, circa 1485:

"He had not left an holle clowt, Wherwith to hyde hys body abowte."

So, 'ne'er cast a clout...' simply means 'never discard your [warm winter] clothing...'.

The 'till May be out' part is where the doubt lies. On the face of it this means 'until the month of May is ended'.

There is another interpretation. In England, in May, you can't miss the Hawthorn. It is an extremely common tree in the English countryside, especially in hedges. Hawthorns are virtually synonymous with hedges. As many as 200,000 miles of hawthorn hedge were planted in the Parliamentary Enclosure period, between 1750 and 1850. The name 'Haw' derives from 'hage', the Old English for 'hedge'.

The tree gives its beautiful display of flowers in late April/early May. It is known as the May Tree and the blossom itself is called May. Using that allusion, 'till May is out' could mean, 'until the hawthorn is out [in bloom]'. "

David

Oh, DO KEEP UP.... Please find above a bit of very good info posted by david about 2 pages ago......Poe

[diggleken]

It may be both sods and clothing - clout is certainly archaic old english for cloth remnants to piece or repair workclothes. Possibly more up north here.
I have always understood it from old yorkshire and lancashire millworker and farming folk to mean dont think you can get rid of your winter apparel or clothes until youre quite sure the seasons have warmed with spring proper.
Oh, forgot to add, May meaning hawthorn, as said.
Cheers
Ken

[david156]

I suppose what with global warming the saying will become:

"don't shed a clout,
till april is out"

and then they will add 2 new lines

"put a clout on again
cos the summer will be rain"

David

[diggleken]

Lovely stuff David - I cant help but try and say this with a Norfolk burr......
Cheers
Ken

[posie]

Christmas is coming up folks, has anyone got any customs for Christmas to tell...I have often wondered about the origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas song.I mean, all that bird and poultry as gifts. I mean to say, where was she/he going to keep it all.There is no mention of hen-houses, or Dove-cott, Bird-cage, Jewelery box etc. and anyway a 'puppy' is for ever, not just for Christmas, He/She gave her/him too many pets at once. It was silly.AND ! ! What was she/he going to do with six Milk-maids, and where were they going to sleep.AND ! all those LORDS, for goodness' sake, it gets worse.AND GEESE are SOOO noisy, and if you're weren't used to the noise,'twould totally spoil your Christmas. I can't remember any more, I think it's wierd, sort of SPOOKY, it gives me a wierd feeling, I reckon it's based on witchcraft or something similar. I'm not going to Google it 'cos I don't want my P.C. to crash, through some spooky spell thats lain dormant all those years..Poe.