When you think “cozy fabric,” chances are good that flannel springs to mind. (Confession: I’m not the biggest flannel fan for anything but loungewear. *Hiding behind my hands…)

But did you know that flannel was originally…wait for it…sackcloth? As in, “sackcloth and ashes.” Nope, I didn’t know that either! Turns out the word is from the Middle English flanen that did indeed mean “sackcloth,” and by the 1300s was used for “warm, loosely woven wool fabric.” Historians trace that Middle English word to the Welsh gwlanen (“woolen cloth”) or perhaps the Celtic wlana (“wool”). Flannel was already a popular cloth in Wales by the 1500s, giving a bit of weight to that possible history, though some scholars think the sound-change too great and favor the Celtic history.

Regardless, an interesting tidbit is that unlike many English words that are borrowed from French, in this case the French flanelle was borrowed from English in the 1600s! About time we have some turnabout. 😉

Word Nerds Merch!

When you hear the word tweed, you probably think of professors in sports coats, likely with leather elbow patches, or a feminine jacket inspired by the cloth most popular for said coats with elbow patches (or maybe that’s just me, LOL). But did you know that the word originally didn’t mean a fabric at all, but was a river?

The River Tweed is in Scotland, the history of how it got its name is lost to the mists of time…historians assume it’s a Celtic word whose meaning has been lost. But in the Victorian era it became a very popular fishing and outdoor-sporting spot. And of course, a gentleman had to be properly outfitted for these rod-fishing adventures, so he turned to twill–a weaving technique that uses that distinct parallel-ribbing pattern, which makes it quite tough (it can be made of a variety of materials). 

Well, the twill outfits seen on the Tweed quickly became rather iconic…to the point that London tailors began to take note and refer to “Tweed fishing trousers” and “Tweed jackets.” It wasn’t long at all–just a couple years–before tweed came to mean that twill fabric itself, though primarily, at first, by one specific clothing house, Doudney & Son.

So if you’re a tweed fan, now you know to thank the rod-fishing gentlemen of the 1830s.

Word Nerds Merch!

After looking at the history of chiffon last week, I thought it would be fun to take a peek at the history of other fabric names…and given that we’d firmly into autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere, I decided to start with some cozy, autumnal fabrics. So today, let’s take a look at the history of corduroy.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve heard a rumor that the “du roy” part of the word means that it’s taken from the French, meaning “of the king.” But…as it turns out, that’s just lore, not history, evidenced by the fact that French word for the fabric is something entirely different–velours à côtes. So then, where does it come from?

The “cord” part is as obvious as it seems–what the fabric resembles. But in fact, the duroy part of the name was first given to a different coarse fabric made in England, dating to the 1600s. By the 1770s, corduroy was a name given to a particular thick fabric with a corded surface.

Are you a corduroy fan? I admit that the 1980s soured me on it, LOL, though I’ve worn it now and then in recent years when it’s particularly cold outside.

Word Nerds Merch!

In The Island Bikeshop, my heroine is a bookish woman, Lara, who loves random word facts (we see a hint of this in book 2, The Island Bakeshop, before she takes center stage in this book 3). At one point in the story, she and the hero, Asher, are making pasta, and the recipe calls for fresh basil, chiffonaded. Asher accuses her of making up words and says it sounds like a frou-frou fabric…so naturally Lara (borrowing from me, here), makes a note to look up how the two words are related.

So naturally, I had to do that too. 😉

Because what does chiffonade (shredded or finely cut vegetables or herbs used as a garnish) have to do with chiffon, that light-and-airy fabric popular in dresses?

Well, chiffon joined english in 1765, not as a kind of cloth, but as a word that basically meant “accessory”–it was used to describe feminine finery that was worn purely for adornment. It came from the French (no surprise when you hear the word), which was itself a diminutive of the word chiffe, which meant “cloth or rag.” So…think “frippery” here. Scarves or ruffles or the like.

By 1890, chiffon had veered off from any such accessory or cloth and was used exclusively for the sheer, silky fabric we associate with the word today.

So what about chiffonade? Well, it is indeed related to chiffon, and is used to describe the “light and airy” look of those finely chopped herbs used as a garnish. Its first use is from the 1820s. Chiffon also became a term for light pastries in the late 1920s.

Word Nerds Merch!