Sayings

[sarah c]

Ne'er cast a clout til May be out does indeed mean don't remove your winter clothes til May be out. Clout is an Old English word for clothing.

Funnily enough it's the May bit that is uncertain. It could just simply mean don't remove your winter clothes till the month of May is over. But it could also mean till the flowers on the hawthorn tree come out as another name for the Hawthorn is the May Tree. To all intents and purpose though it amounts to the same thing as the hawthorn is called the May tree because it flowers in May.

thank you for that!!! I knew the saying and always thought of Adrian Mole and his thoughts on it!!! but now I feel 'in the know'!!!


that said I've been in the garden in a t-shirt for a couple of weeks now on principal!!