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14 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MARCH 2016 Our English language is laced with sayings from days of yore whose meanings no longer make sense unless one understands their origin. Back in the Middle Ages many farmers and workers lived in small cottages made of stones. The king owned all the trees, and cutting them was forbidden. So, overhead cover roofs were made of thatch (see photo inset). Straw, reeds or heather was bundled together and tied to branches spanning the walls In this bygone era cats and dogs worked for their meals and spent their time outside the cottages. In bad weather they would jump up on the low-hanging roofs and burrow into the thatch. When it rained hard the thatch would become slippery and these pets would fall off and, "rain cats and dogs." To keep the chaff and twigs from falling on slumbering occupants, a cloth or blanket was hung over the beds leading to the four-poster canopy bed. There were few mattresses so blankets were on a web of ropes that sagged over time. Periodically the ropes had to be tightened and the saying "sleep tight" came into being. Wealthier homeowners were able to cover the floors with stones and sometimes timbers. But many households placed thresh (the chaff and stems left after threshing grain) on their floors and installed a board by the door to keep the thresh from walking away. This board was the "threshold." The less wealthy were considered "dirt poor." Bathing was infrequent, but when done it was a family affair. A large pot was filled with warm water and following an established pecking order when each member was bathed. First came the head of the household followed by the younger males and then the female population in turn. Last came the baby in the, by now, very dirty water. Being a wee thing and difficult to see, one had to be cautious to avoid having the "baby thrown out with the bath water." Going outside at night or in bad weather was undesirable so each cottage had a pot for bladder relief. This also was a source of income as tanneries used urine and bought the contents from enterprising families. The poorest of the poor were unable to do this as they "didn't have a pot to piss in." You Don't Say! Curious Idioms Explained By Len Tavernetti A thatched cottage

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