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How a threshold got its name.

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  • How a threshold got its name.

    - The medieval farmhouse was also quite intimate with the barnyard, to put it politely, and a gust of wind could bring all manner of straw and debris skating in through an open front door.

    To prevent this, a plank was fastened across the base of the doorway to keep the stuff out--literally, a "thresh-hold."
    South Dakota

  • #2
    If you have an interesting story of how something got its name, or where some old saying came from, let's hear it.
    South Dakota

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    • #3
      The modern definition for the term "blockhead" is taken as a derogatory statement meaning thick headed or dumb. But the real meaning comes from the 17th & 18thc when men wore powdered wigs. To own a handmade powdered wig, one would be considered wealthy. The man's head would be shaved and the peruke or wig maker would measure the bald head and then carve a custom wooden block to serve as a template. The new wig, and all subsequent hairpieces, would be fashioned & fitted on that block-- or block head.
      The peruke would employ a barber who kept their customers' heads shaved so as to ensure a good fit. Gentlemen wore night caps to kept their bald pates warm during cold weather.
      Last edited by Havenhunter; 05-11-2017, 01:42 PM.
      Child of the tides

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      • #4
        interesting. I come from England and i always believed the threshold was to keep the stuff IN the room! when we had reeds/rushes for floor coverings. I could be wrong tho
        If You Know Your History You Can Predict The Future

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        • #5
          Originally posted by LucasBMylks View Post
          interesting. I come from England and i always believed the threshold was to keep the stuff IN the room! when we had reeds/rushes for floor coverings. I could be wrong tho
          I actually believed what you do, until I quoted those lines off some site. Now I think you are right. It seems like I remember reading also the board was used to keep the thresh inside the room. Thanks for sharing.
          South Dakota

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          • #6
            Practically speaking keeping the thresh in makes no sense. What is forcing it out? If you look at it from current perspective and use it's purpose is to keep stuff out. Wind (cold), rain, bugs or for that matter, thresh!

            The medieval farmhouse was also quite intimate with the barnyard, to put it politely, and a gust of wind could bring all manner of straw and debris skating in through an open front door.
            To prevent this, a plank was fastened across the base of the doorway to keep the stuff out--literally, a "thresh-hold." From the Chicago Tribune, 1/25/2003.
            But “threshold” has nothing to do with “threshes” on the floor. The word “threshold” first appeared in Old English as “therscold” or “threscold.” The first part of the word carried the meaning of “to stamp with the feet, to stomp noisily,” which is, of course, what one does when entering a room with mud or snow on one’s shoes. The second part of the word is a mystery, but it is fairly certain that it was something other than our modern word “hold,” and it was transformed into the more familiar “hold” over time. From The Word Detective .com
            Now if you want to read a whole lot about the word threshold but still not get a clear idea of it's purpose check this site out: https://blog.oup.com/2015/02/thresho...gin-etymology/
            Searching the fields of NW Indiana and SW Michigan

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            • #7
              Thanks Greg. It’s all very interesting to me.
              South Dakota

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              • gregszybala
                gregszybala commented
                Editing a comment
                Me too, who knows but trying to learn is always fun.
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