Our last house had a walk-in airing cupboard.
The house before that had a walk-in larder, on the north side, with a marble shelf and a pierced zinc panel in the window for ventilation.
Continuing the "jointly and severally" liable tangent: back when I did my Citizens Advice training it was explained to me in the context of credit cards: a couple with a credit card can be "jointly and severally liable"for any debt run up on the card. There's no point the husband saying "I didn't spend any of that, my wife spent it all on clothes" or a wife saying "I didn't buy anything, it was all my husband getting motorbike parts". Tough, the credit card company can go after either or both parties, regardless of who actually ran up the debt.
My childhood home had a larder and we ate our breakfast from porringers, but I don't think I've used either word in the last twenty years.
I persist in using "several" as Milton did - "to their several graves return" meaning, not that each ghost has a number of graves, but a number of ghosts each has one.
And back to the domestic front, do houses still have sculleries? Or larders? Or broom cupboards? Or a hotpress? Do you store things in a kist? Or sup from a porringer?
We had a scullery in the house I grew up in, leading off the kitchen, which just had all the kitchen cupboards and a table we ate at. The scullery was where the cooking took place. It had a butler's sink and also an early washing machine. Basically what would now be called the utility room.
Many years ago now, I had the job of cataloging a collection of rare children's books. Going through the reading primers and ABCs, I was struck by how many of the 'everyday objects' are no longer in common use. Saddles and other tack for horses. Tools for tending fires.
This is all a long-winded way of nominating 'whiffletree' and 'fire dogs' for your attention.
@Firenze When my parents moved out of their council house into one with a gas fire. I can't say I miss it. I just like the word 'fire dogs.'
Actually, now I come to think of it, I did encounter a real fire a few years ago when staying in a holiday cottage. It brought back unhappy memories of struggling to get the fire alight on winter mornings, with the wind blowing smoke back down the chimney and straight into my face. And we spent the whole holiday worrying that the dog would forget the flames were dangerous and set fire to her tail.
I persist in using "several" as Milton did - "to their several graves return" meaning, not that each ghost has a number of graves, but a number of ghosts each has one.
And back to the domestic front, do houses still have sculleries? Or larders? Or broom cupboards? Or a hotpress? Do you store things in a kist? Or sup from a porringer?
My dog sups from a porringer twice daily. It's a Peter Rabbit one by Wedgwood.
@Firenze When my parents moved out of their council house into one with a gas fire. I can't say I miss it. I just like the word 'fire dogs.'
Actually, now I come to think of it, I did encounter a real fire a few years ago when staying in a holiday cottage. It brought back unhappy memories of struggling to get the fire alight on winter mornings, with the wind blowing smoke back down the chimney and straight into my face. And we spent the whole holiday worrying that the dog would forget the flames were dangerous and set fire to her tail.
Laying and lighting a fire was something I mastered by about age 8. I rather liked doing it. But then, having got a good blaze going, mother would dump a load of wet slack on it 'to keep the fire in' and reduce it to a glum and heatless smoulder.
I persist in using "several" as Milton did - "to their several graves return" meaning, not that each ghost has a number of graves, but a number of ghosts each has one.
And back to the domestic front, do houses still have sculleries? Or larders? Or broom cupboards? Or a hotpress? Do you store things in a kist? Or sup from a porringer?
My dog sups from a porringer twice daily. It's a Peter Rabbit one by Wedgwood.
Do you mean one of these? My brother, and then I, had that one, and then decades later Captain Pyjamas inherited it. In our family it was always referred to as the "dog dish". (Excellent for toddlers because the weight makes it stay still while they are learning to manipulate a spoon.)
(Tangent: does anyone remember putting a large of newspaper over a poker in the grate to get get the fire to “draw “)
Oh yes. And sometimes it drew so enthusiastically that the newspaper caught fire.
Very clearly! But in my childhood home the sheet of newspaper was hand held, no poker.
The aim was to screw the paper up while it was smouldering, and toss it onto the coals as it burst into flames!
A book reccommendation for all language lovers: 'Words to Love a Planet' by Ella Frances Sanders. The author was interviewed in a recent BBC Radio 4 'Word of mouth'. Just published (I think), it's a beautiful hardback book to treasure.
I found myself using the word 'farrago' today, about a situation that played out in our household last week.
Not sure it was a 100% fit, but it seemed to suit the occasion.
Comments
The house before that had a walk-in larder, on the north side, with a marble shelf and a pierced zinc panel in the window for ventilation.
My childhood home had a larder and we ate our breakfast from porringers, but I don't think I've used either word in the last twenty years.
I find that it causes delightful confusion and sometimes annoyance, but it's a time-honoured word.
We had a scullery in the house I grew up in, leading off the kitchen, which just had all the kitchen cupboards and a table we ate at. The scullery was where the cooking took place. It had a butler's sink and also an early washing machine. Basically what would now be called the utility room.
I have used the word "comeuppance" in my preparation for tomorrow's sermon.
This is what we are fighting against: utility room: living space: function suite.
Bring back sculleries and parlours and banqueting halls.
This is all a long-winded way of nominating 'whiffletree' and 'fire dogs' for your attention.
When did you last wield a poker, or riddle the ashes?
Actually, now I come to think of it, I did encounter a real fire a few years ago when staying in a holiday cottage. It brought back unhappy memories of struggling to get the fire alight on winter mornings, with the wind blowing smoke back down the chimney and straight into my face. And we spent the whole holiday worrying that the dog would forget the flames were dangerous and set fire to her tail.
My dog sups from a porringer twice daily. It's a Peter Rabbit one by Wedgwood.
Laying and lighting a fire was something I mastered by about age 8. I rather liked doing it. But then, having got a good blaze going, mother would dump a load of wet slack on it 'to keep the fire in' and reduce it to a glum and heatless smoulder.
Oh yes. And sometimes it drew so enthusiastically that the newspaper caught fire.
Do you mean one of these? My brother, and then I, had that one, and then decades later Captain Pyjamas inherited it. In our family it was always referred to as the "dog dish". (Excellent for toddlers because the weight makes it stay still while they are learning to manipulate a spoon.)
Very clearly! But in my childhood home the sheet of newspaper was hand held, no poker.
The aim was to screw the paper up while it was smouldering, and toss it onto the coals as it burst into flames!
Not sure it was a 100% fit, but it seemed to suit the occasion.