General Chat

linda
that is what birthday money is for to spend and buy something for yourselves and it sounds as if you have a bargain as well so thats even better. it is raining here as well and so cold I have put my heating on I was shivering and thought this is silly sitting here like this.
My son brought my new printer and came and fitted it for me it is a Kodak one he said it is easier then your old one my old one was 14 years old. lol but it will take a lot of geting use to as it is one that shows you scanning and printing it gets rid of red eye in photos and it prints photos out with a white boarder. so I will have fun and games when I start using it.
My daughter phoned to say they were coming over tomorrow for a couple of hours my son in law cannot sit longer then that he gets so much pain in his back and legs.so I am looking forward to seeing then .

Rita

Oh Rita I hope you enjoy the printer if it is like one advertised on TV it will be chgeaper for ink too. So you will have a bargain as well.
I hope you have a nice time with your daughter and son in law. Please give them both my best wishes, you know I have been thinking of them.
Yes it's too cold here .
Not sure what I am going to wear tonight? I was going to wear a skirt and blouse and now it is so cold I think it will be for comfort and not glamour !!!

Keep warm and enjoy the rest of the weekend

Linda :o) XxX

Linda you will need to wrap up warm it is so cold .I know May is a difficalt month but this is really going over the top.
my gran use to say "Never cast t a clout till May is out " I have no idea what she meant by Clout but she use to say keep your vest on till it is warmer..
I still have my winter duvet on the bed but I wake in the night too hot yet when I roll it back I am too cold there is no pleaseing some people.
I am looking forward to see my daughter and son in law tomorrow. my sister has said she would like to come for the day Monday so thats an other visitor. which is nice
well hope you have a good time and dont drinkk too much or your end up with a headache.

Rita
x

My Mum used to say the same thing Rita, and I took clout to mean some sort of warm clothing. Just googled and found this:


Ne'er cast a clout till May be out
With most phrases and sayings the meaning is well understood but the origin is uncertain. With this one the main interest is the doubt about the meaning. So, this time, we'll have the origin first.

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]'.

Other rhymes in which May is ambiguous are:

- April showers bring forth May flowers.

- Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date. (Shakespeare's Sonnet 18)

The Hawthorn has long been a potent symbol of rebirth and appears, as May, in other old rhymes. For example, 'Here we go gathering nuts in May'. That is probably a corruption of 'here we go gathering knots of May [blossom]'. After all, there are no nuts to collect in England until Autumn - certainly not in May.

Putting the case for the month, as opposed to the flower...

A French proverb - 'En avril, ne te découvre pas d'un fil; en mai, fais ce qui te plaît'. This translates as 'In April, do not shed a single thread; in May, do as you please', which has much the same meaning as 'ne'er cast a clout...'.

Captain John Stevens's work, 'A New Spanish and English Dictionary', published in London in 1706, translates a Spanish proverb, as "Do not leave off your Coat till May be past".

Those rhymes may well have originated in England and migrated across the Channel. It is difficult to understand why the Spanish would coin such a proverb, which would seem a little cautious for that part of the world - the average temperature in Seville in May is 20°C. Quite a few correspondents from Spain, and some also from France and Italy, have pointed out a locale version of the phrase which goes:

'Hasta el cuarenta de mayo no te quites el sayo', i.e. 'Don't leave off you coat till May 40th'

There is a homegrown version that supports the 'month' theory - a fuller version of the rhyme, which goes:

"Button to chin, till May be in,
Cast not a clout till May be out"

The first line appears to have been added later and can't be found earlier than the 20th century. It clearly refers to the month though, as May blossom can come out, but can hardly be expected to go back in again, which indicates that whoever coined this additional line thought that way.

There's an explicit mention of the month in the version of the rhyme from F. K. Robertson's Whitby Gazette, 1855:

The wind at North and East
Was never good for man nor beast
So never think to cast a clout
Until the month of May be out

Wise words for the North Sea-facing Whitby, which can't match Seville and can be icy cold even in mid-summer.

All in all, although the May blossom interpretation seems appealing, the 'May' in this proverb is the month of May.


It's perishing here in Norwich and been raining most of the day and evening too.

Stay warm folks, and keep your winter drawers on...


Lizxx

Rita, we use a top sheet under the duvet so the duvet cover doesn't need stripping off each washday and can go two or three times longer. Because there's no central heating here we use a flannalette top sheet in winter which makes the bed lovely and cosy, and if you do get hot and shove the duvet back you still have the sheet over you, it works well in summer too with a thin cotton or polycotton sheet instead of flannalette, I don't like laying in bed with nothing over me, however hot it is.

Lizx

Hello Liz

I use a sheet under the duvet during the summer but my duvet is one you can seperate winter and sunner so I have these in two seperate covers so I can roll the top one over and uae the borrom one (if that makes sense. ?)
I know about the saga of the Hornthron Tree I go onto open University from time to time and reseach things.

My Grandmother Shara came from Shropshire my Dad use to say she called her self a Brummie you will find the census call it Salop Shopshire and Birmmingham among other things she didnt have much of a brummie acent like my friend Valere has. but she came out with some quirky saying and she use to sing to me" Toola Loola Babey "that is the only time I would have said she showed her birth palce. where as some of her words were from Shropshire and she always used the word clout I thought it was a cockney saying I will give you a clout
but she never failed to tell me Rita never cast a clout till May is out. Mum said it was the vest and to keep it on till May had passed and the better weather had arrived.mind you there were Libity Bodices then
my Gran died in 1946 aged 78
The weather here is very cold I had my heating on all day yesterday as I was shivering looks like I need to put it on again in a minuite.

Well you lazy things get up out of thoses beds and do your exercises .
Rita

Whew Rita,I am exhausted,worn out just thinking about doing excercise.lol
Just finished doing all the swear word H****w**k. And having a nice cup off coffee,please join me.
(**)? (**)? (**)? {^^}/ {^^}/ {^^}/ [_] [_] [_] @@@@@ # # # # #.
I spoke to my brother today. My nephew did not have a brain bleed,it was just a fit after the operation. Thank god for small mercies I suppose. But he certainly waited a long time to have it,four months after his op.
Another wet day today. Really fed up,I washed a pair off bed room cutains today,along with the liners,it was dry outside earlier ,but I have had to put them on the clothes horse now to finish drying.

Exercises?? I don't think so Rita....lol

I always thought the word clout was an ambiguous North East word.

My mother and grandmother always called the dishcloth a dish-clout and they used to tell me if I back-answered one more time I'd get a clout round the ear. I often back-answered and often got a clout for it.

We were always told to never cast a clout till May was out - meaning don't go out without a coat on.

My mam's mam had a Scottish father and Irish mother so she had a lot of strange sayings that were a mixture of Scottish and Irish.

Mo, does that mean he won't get any more fits?

Hi Pauline.
He could have other fits,but they have upped his steroids,and given him medication that should control the fits.
But like epileptics,he could have on even with the meds.
I had many a clout round the earhole as well. Plus dads belt on my backside on many occasions. I was a good girl really. NOT

Mo, my son is epileptic, it's under control now (touch wood) but it took years to work out what was causing the medication to stop working from time to time. If he drinks anything fizzy it stops the medication from working and if he gets constipated it stops it from working.

As long as we're careful what he eats and drinks we can keep it under control.

I get a bit frustrated with my brother sometimes. He is talking about taking my nephew back to work with him,as my nephew is bored. BUT,
they are in the building trade,nephew is not allowed to lift heavy things,he
is still having treatment,and has to see the specialist in June.
Pauline I could scream at my brother.
Does he not realise that my N,will not be allowed back on site,and should
god forbid,he have an accident,he will not be covered by the companies insurance,as he has not been signed off as fit to work.
It's so frustrating,I know my N is bored,but he is not fit enough yet.

Hi Everyone,

I want to screaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam out LOUD !!!!!!!

Its like Joe Lyons here ........Cafe open all hours, these kids are ALWAYS hungry .

My house is like a TIP, got X boxes & dolls & bits & bobs scattered all over the house .

NOW WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS......???????

Should have been here 12pm and the other could turn up any time after.
Problem is they don't want to go home.....wonder why ???????

Worn out Marilyn.......

Marilyn, it's lovely to see them but lovely when they go home again isn't it?
I don't have my own grandchildren but I get my sister's grandchildren quite often.

Mo, you're right, it's very dangerous for your nephew to be working on a building site. Even when the hospital sign him off, he'll have to ask if he can continue to work in a place where he'll be going up ladders and using machinery.

I feel that i have lost a whole week this week, what with having to be at Leicester for 3/4 days & not acheived anything and have to do the whole thing again mid November!!!!

Hi Everyone,

Lady what were you doing at Leicester ?
You cant give us guessing games .......was it a doggy show ?

Well I have just had my second bath for the day...LOL
I'm not dirty I was knackerd and wanted to feel refreshed , the kids did not go until 4pm .....should have been 12pm.


I've had a girlie hour .......painted my nails, and shaved me legs !! feeling human again.

So now I am taking it easy and I'm going to go to bed early as I want to find peace...LOL

My electric blanket is on so it wont be long before I'm it it..LOL

Just had dinner.......now a lovely cuppa .

Have you all had a lovely day ?

So no one did their exercies then ? I have hurt my ankle again well it is my heel and so it is in an elasticated bandage.very painful to walk on. my daughter came with my son in Law he is losing his hair and was laughing over it. bless him. they brought me great big bunch of flowers all lovely colours.. then my daughter started playing about with my new
printer she was quiet taken with it she was showing me how I can take the card out of my camera slot it into the printer and print all my photos from it onto photographic paper with a white border.. she has her office at home and works there or at her other office in Stockley Park near heathrow It is good she has her office in the house as well she can keep an eye on her husband after he has had his chemo.
Marilyn you must have had great fun minding those children. not surprised you didn get any further with your curtains.
Mo and Pauline and Lady hope your well., I am going to make my hot chocolate.now.
My sister is coming over tomorrow and Tuesday I have to go to see my consultant about my scan see if I have to start treatment again or whether I can get away with it for another three months.
Wednesday I have to phone about my blood test results and Thursday the man is coming to fit a key safe on the outside of my flat door so it is going to be another week of appointments,

see you later.
Rita

Court

Hi all,

Rita, here are the words to that song, my Dad used to sing it to me I seem to recall, but I only remember the verse as you mentioned it!


MY CURLY HEADED BABY
Sung by Paul Robeson on Conifer CMSCD 011
From the film 'Big Fella' (1937)

Oh, my baby, my curly headed baby,
We'll sit below the sky and sing a song to the moo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oon.
Oh, my baby, my curly headed baby,
Your daddy's in the cotton fields a-workin' late and soo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oon.

So lulla lulla lulla lulla bye bye
Does you want the moon to play with
Or the stars to run away with?
They'll come if you don't cry.
So lulla lulla lulla lulla bye bye
In your mammy's arms be creepin'
And soon you'll be a-sleepin'
Lulla lulla lulla lulla lulla bye.

Oh, my baby, my curly headed baby,
I'll sing you fast asleep and love you so as I sing.
Oh, my baby, my curly headed baby,
Just tuck your head like little bird beneath its mammy's wing.

So lulla lulla lulla lulla bye bye
Does you want the moon to play with
Or the stars to run away with?
They'll come if you don't cry.
So lulla lulla lulla lulla bye bye
In your mammy's arms be creepin'
And soon you'll be a-sleepin'
Lulla lulla lulla lulla lulla bye.

On the CD Paul sings lulla with a short a (as in dull) and my baby as written.
Other versions I've heard use loola and ma babby.


Lizx

Morning All,

I'm refreshed..!! LOL

Liz I could almost hear you singing that lullaby, but cannot ever say I have heard it before, and I had a head of curls !! hmmmm wonder why my Dad never sang it to me .....

I have to try and finish the curtains today,

Shelly keeps finding me everything I want with this tree .......its growing so fast I wont be able to climb it soon ..LOL

Now it is lovely and sunny here in Devon ,but a bit chilly best to have the sun shinning I guess , makes it feel a little bit summer ,but when you think of it we only got 4 months left of summer !! happy soul aren't I ?
Just as well I go away and follow the sun.....

(_)? (_)? (_)? (_)? (_)? anyone's