Odd sayings that come from The 1500s

Do you know where the tradition of the bride carrying a bouquet on her wedding day came from?

It was because in the 1500’s people got married in June.  They chose June because they took their annual bath in May, so they still smelt pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell a bit, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide their body odor.

Do you know where the expression “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water” came from?

In the 1500’s the family bath was a big tub filled with hot water. There was a strict order, the man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then the sons, then the women and finally the children.  Last of all came the babies. The problem was that by this point the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it, especially a baby!

 The expression “It’s raining cats and dogs” also came from the 1500s.

To get warm the family’s pets, the cats and dogs, lived in the roof as houses that all had thatched roofs of thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was an ideal warm place to live, but when it rained it became slippery, the animals would slip and fall off the roof. So, it rained cats and dogs!

How canopy beds came into existence.

Because of the above, there was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection.

The saying “Dirt Poor”.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, “Dirt Poor”. The wealthy had slate floors that got slippery in the winter when they were wet, so they used to spread straw on floor to help keep their footing.

Why do we call it the thresh hold?

As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold.

How about “chewing the fat.

Sometimes they would get some pork, which made everyone feel special. So much so that when visitors came, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, bring home the bacon. Then with their guests they would cut off a little to share with then, and they would all sit around and chew the fat.

Tomatoes considered dangerous

The rich had pewter plates, and sometimes  food with high acid caused the lead to leak onto the food, causing death by lead poisoning. It always seemed to happen with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Where did the term “Upper Crust” come from?

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

How did a wake come about?

When people were drinking whisky or even ale in lead cups the lead sometimes knocked a drinker out for several days. They thought they were dead so laid them out for burial on the kitchen table and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.

The Graveyard shift!

England started running out of places to bury people. So, they dug up coffins, then  would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave.  However, when reopening these coffins, they found that 1 out of 25 coffins had scratch marks on the inside, which told them that they had been burying people alive. Then they decided to tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. However, this meant that someone had to sit in the graveyard all night to listen for the bell, they had the graveyard shift.

Dead Ringer

So when you were saved by the bell you were considered a dead ringer.

And that’s the truth…Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !

10 questions to discuss:

1. 1. 1. Beyond the “annual bath” explanation, were there other reasons why brides might have carried bouquets in the 16th century? Consider cultural symbolism, medicinal properties of flowers, or availability of different plants.
      2. How accurate is the claim that babies were frequently lost in bathwater? What were the bathing practices and hygiene standards like in the 16th century?
      3. Is there historical evidence to support the link between thatched roofs and the expression “raining cats and dogs”? Are there alternative explanations for the origin of this idiom?
      4. The blog emphasizes the practical reasons for canopy beds. Were there any other factors, such as social status, aesthetics, or cultural beliefs, that influenced their development?
      5. How widespread was the practice of using straw on floors during the winter? What other materials were used, and how did these practices vary across social classes and regions?
      6. Is the explanation for the term “thresh hold” historically accurate? What were the actual functions and construction of thresholds in 16th-century houses?
      7. Beyond pork, what other foods were considered special or symbolic in different cultures and classes during this period? How did food sharing practices contribute to social interactions and community building?
      8. The blog mentions lead poisoning from acidic foods and pewter plates. How common was this problem, and what other health risks were associated with food storage and preparation in the 16th century?
      9. What evidence supports the claim that upper-class people ate the top crust of bread? Were there different types of bread and consumption patterns depending on social status and region?
      10. The blog presents a grim picture of burial practices and “wakes.” Were there any rituals or beliefs surrounding death and the afterlife that offered comfort or hope during this period?

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