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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
Coal in the Christmas stocking
There have been a number of references to this in recent posts, which reminded me of something.
Although I'd heard of the "bad boys get a lump of coal" thing, when I was young my mother's (always light-hearted) standard line was that this year all I was going to get was a potato on a string (which I was assured I'd be able to swing round my head and amuse myself for hours on end).
I assume she learned that particular mickey-taking from her father it sounds like his sense of humour but was this just our family's idea of a non-present, or was it more widespread than that?
Cheers, Harvey
Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years;
Southern England for the past 22 years.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van)
Although I'd heard of the "bad boys get a lump of coal" thing, when I was young my mother's (always light-hearted) standard line was that this year all I was going to get was a potato on a string (which I was assured I'd be able to swing round my head and amuse myself for hours on end).
I assume she learned that particular mickey-taking from her father it sounds like his sense of humour but was this just our family's idea of a non-present, or was it more widespread than that?
Cheers, Harvey
Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years;
Southern England for the past 22 years.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van)
Top answer
[nq:1]There have been a number of references to this in recent posts, which reminded me of something. Although I'd heard ... [/nq] I think "a cold potato" was mentioned in our household, though only as an example of what more credulous 'other people' feared or expected, because my mother didn't hold with issuing imaginary threats.
- [nq:1]There have been a number of references to this in recent posts, which reminded me of something.
- Although I'd heard ...
- [/nq] I think "a cold potato" was mentioned in our household, though only as an example of what more credulous 'other people' feared or expected, because my mother didn't hold with issuing imaginary threats.
- I assumed a cold potato was already cooked; I particularly like cold roast or baked potatoes, so the prospect might have been quite attractive were it not that getting one would have meant not getting the tangerine, the sugar mouse, the chocolate money, the Chinese glass diver, the Japanese water flowers, and so on.
- Coal was never mentioned in our circles.
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53 Answers
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[nq:1]There have been a number of references to this in recent posts, which reminded me of something. Although I'd heard ... of humour but was this just our family's idea of a non-present, or was it more widespread than that?[/nq]
I think "a cold potato" was mentioned in our household, though only as an example of what more credulous 'other people' feared or expected, because my mother didn't
I think "a cold potato" was mentioned in our household, though only as an example of what more credulous 'other people' feared or expected, because my mother didn't
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[nq:2]There have been a number of references to this in ... of a non-present, or was it more widespread than that?[/nq]
Rings no bells for me.
[nq:1]Coal was never mentioned in our circles. And it's only now that it occurs to me to wonder if there's any link between "coal" and "cold". Probably not.[/nq]
You're asking about the word derivations, not Christmas customs, right? I go to the
Rings no bells for me.
[nq:1]Coal was never mentioned in our circles. And it's only now that it occurs to me to wonder if there's any link between "coal" and "cold". Probably not.[/nq]
You're asking about the word derivations, not Christmas customs, right? I go to the
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[nq:2]Coal was never mentioned in our circles. And it's only ... if there's any link between "coal" and "cold". Probably not.[/nq]
[nq:1]You're asking about the word derivations, not Christmas customs, right? I go to the American Heritage for those sorts of ... was a major early source of coal maybe the Anglo-Saxons didn't have to borrow the name from anybody else.[/nq]
I think Katy was su
[nq:1]You're asking about the word derivations, not Christmas customs, right? I go to the American Heritage for those sorts of ... was a major early source of coal maybe the Anglo-Saxons didn't have to borrow the name from anybody else.[/nq]
I think Katy was su
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[nq:1]There have been a number of references to this in recent posts, which reminded me of something. Although I'd heard ... Cheers, Harvey Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years; Southern England for the past 22 years. (for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van)[/nq]
I used to get a lump of coal in my Christmas stocking as a child/youth/young adult even. Furthermore, the "first foot" (i.e. t
I used to get a lump of coal in my Christmas stocking as a child/youth/young adult even. Furthermore, the "first foot" (i.e. t
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[nq:1]Speaking of odd childhood myths: when I was little and lost a tooth, the coin was brought not by the ... the same recollection. Has anyone else heard of that version? The association between rodents and dentition is obvious, but still...[/nq]
In France the coin is brought by the little mouse, "la petite souris"; a clever creature who keeps well aware of economic trends and who knows that
In France the coin is brought by the little mouse, "la petite souris"; a clever creature who keeps well aware of economic trends and who knows that
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On Thu, 23 Dec 2004, In message , Steve Howarth (Email Removed) writes
[nq:1]I used to get a lump of coal in my Christmas stocking as a child/youth/young adult even. Furthermore, the "first ... was wider than that. The NE of England, which is where I'm from, is/was of course a traditional coal-mining area.[/nq]
I was under the impression that "first footer" is a Scottish thing, and he shou
[nq:1]I used to get a lump of coal in my Christmas stocking as a child/youth/young adult even. Furthermore, the "first ... was wider than that. The NE of England, which is where I'm from, is/was of course a traditional coal-mining area.[/nq]
I was under the impression that "first footer" is a Scottish thing, and he shou
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[nq:2]You're asking about the word derivations, not Christmas customs, right?[/nq]
[nq:1]I think Katy was suggesting that "coal in the stocking" mutated to "(something) cold in the stocking."[/nq]
Yes, I was, or something like that. With absolutely nothing to go on other than sound similarity, though, and if it was a mutation it could just as well have been in the other direction. I'd forg
[nq:1]I think Katy was suggesting that "coal in the stocking" mutated to "(something) cold in the stocking."[/nq]
Yes, I was, or something like that. With absolutely nothing to go on other than sound similarity, though, and if it was a mutation it could just as well have been in the other direction. I'd forg
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[nq:2]You're asking about the word derivations, not Christmas customs, right? ... Anglo-Saxons didn't have to borrow the name from anybody else.[/nq]
[nq:1]I think Katy was suggesting that "coal in the stocking" mutated to "(something) cold in the stocking."[/nq]
Right, well, if that was the line of discussion, I was going to point out that coal features in the Christmas/St. Nicholas custo
[nq:1]I think Katy was suggesting that "coal in the stocking" mutated to "(something) cold in the stocking."[/nq]
Right, well, if that was the line of discussion, I was going to point out that coal features in the Christmas/St. Nicholas custo
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[nq:2]I used to get a lump of coal in my ... where I'm from, is/was of course a traditional coal-mining area.[/nq]
[nq:1]I was under the impression that "first footer" is a Scottish thing, and he should be a tall, dark stranger, ... Scottish friends, although I don't know how they coped with the "stranger" bit. Perhaps I am just stranger than them.[/nq]
I just leafed through a bunch of sit
[nq:1]I was under the impression that "first footer" is a Scottish thing, and he should be a tall, dark stranger, ... Scottish friends, although I don't know how they coped with the "stranger" bit. Perhaps I am just stranger than them.[/nq]
I just leafed through a bunch of sit
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[nq:1]I was hoping Hutton would also have something on Christmas stockings, but no.[/nq]
Actually, that's misleading - he does: he says it's a German custom first referred to in England in 1854, though it reached France and Italy earlier. It became common among the working-class who couldn't afford more than a stocking's-worth of presents. But he doesn't mention coal or potatoes.
Katy
Actually, that's misleading - he does: he says it's a German custom first referred to in England in 1854, though it reached France and Italy earlier. It became common among the working-class who couldn't afford more than a stocking's-worth of presents. But he doesn't mention coal or potatoes.
Katy
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