The things we say
- Published:
- 09 July 2025
Throughout the manor, you'll find prompts about the origins of expressions which relate back to the house's history. On this page, is a complete list which tells you where and how each expression came to be used today.
Visitors welcomed to Woolsthorpe would be offered a good hot meal of wholesome bread and the best meat & vegetables available, but anyone not so welcome would just be given some cold shoulder of mutton. Hence, to be indifferent to someone is to give them the “cold shoulder”.
The phrase crowning glory refers to the most impressive or outstanding feature of something. Its origin is linked to the symbolism of a crown, which is traditionally worn by royalty as a sign of supreme achievement or status Her wedding day was the only day a woman would be seen not wearing her cap. It was the day she showed off her crowning glory.
The phrase you're barred means that someone is prohibited from entering a place or participating in an activity. Its origin comes from the literal use of a bar as a barrier or obstruction. Historically, a bar was used to block entry to certain areas, such as a courtroom or a pub, or as at Woolsthorpe Manor, in addition to the lock, a bar is used to hold the front door firmly shut.
Today, the phrase he's in his cups means someone is drunk. Look at the sloping bench. If you were to fall asleep while eating your meal, you would fall onto the table, into the cups, rather than backwards, although the saying now means a person is drunk, rather than extremely tired.
The Rent Chair was used when collecting payments from the Manor’s tenants. The money that was paid would be put into the drawer underneath the seat, so that Hannah was literally sitting on her assets
The end of the working day was 9 pm and as all activities finished at this time, the fire was covered by putting embers in a pot, similar to a colander but with a lid with holes. So, it was protected overnight and should not go out. The French called this Couvre Feu (cover fire) which we English could not pronounce, and we reduced it to curfew.
If the fire did go out overnight, you could look out of the window and check your neighbours' chimneys, to see whether any of them are smoking. There is no smoke without fire, so pop over and borrow an ember and rekindle your fire, so much easier than starting again with a steel and flint.
Bread being baked would stand on the ash of the fire that had heated the oven early in the morning. Since this meant that the loaves might have some charcoal embedded in the bottom, guests and visitors were given the Upper Crust.
Farm labourers would come into the Hall for their midday meal, which consisted of a slice of bread on a trencher (a thick wooden platter) to which was added a ladleful of stew from the pot on the fire. It was potluck whether this would contain any decent pieces of meat or perhaps just vegetables.
If a hare was caught, because it has such a strong flavour, they would cook it separately from other meat. If they were short of space on the fire, they would put the hare in a jug, put that jug in the stew pot in the middle of all the vegetables and muslin wrapped puddings giving you jugged hare.
Best bib and tucker has origins in 17th century women’s clothing. The bibs were fitted across the bodice. The tuckers were lace pieces that tucked into the bibs for modesty. This was described by Randle Home in The Academy of Armory, in 1688 where he said a pinner or tucker is a narrow piece of cloth which compasseth the top of a woman's gown about the neck part.
Not fit to hold a candle means being inferior to. This phrase emanates from the 1600s when a lowly apprentice would hold the candle to give light for his master doing a job. An apprentice who was not fit to hold a candle was worthless.
When it was getting dark, they would light candles around the farmhouse, making use of adjustable candle holders, raising or lowering the candle according to the work they were doing. If they were doing some close-up work, such as sewing, and needed extra light, they might burn the candle at both ends, thus cutting the life of the candle in half.
Dyed in the wool (meaning having strong ideas you will not change) goes back to the 16th century when cloth could be dyed several ways. The wool itself can be dyed before being spun, using a mordant to hold the dye, so the colour is less likely to fade or change. If the completed woven fabric was dyed, then the dye and mordant could not reach all parts of the fabric, meaning the colour would not be true.
Drinks for all of the family and the farm workers were usually cider or beer, both of which were brewed on the farm. Small beer was around 3% ABV and following on from their allocation of eight pints per person per day, came the idea that you were not drunk until you had consumed one over the eight.
The expression on the level means being honest or straightforward. Its origin is rooted in Freemasonry, where a level is a tool symbolizing equality and fairness. Being on the level suggests that someone is being truthful and fair, akin to maintaining balance and integrity. The phrase entered general usage to convey trustworthiness and honesty.
The expression to cook the books means to manipulate financial records dishonestly. Heat can cause the breakdown of inferior quality ink, causing pigments and dyes to discolour and fade over time, thus allowing the unscrupulous to change the details recorded.
The phrase to let the cat out of the bag means to reveal a secret, usually unintentionally. Its origin is thought to come from marketplaces in medieval times. A common trick was for a trader to substitute a cat for a piglet in a bag, and if the cat escaped, the deceit was revealed. This imagery led to the expression used today.