Packing Away Winter Garb

I think (though may be wrong, often am) that the original saying was along the lines of 'till THE May be out" as in the blossom.

Agree with others re "clout" in this instance being just a layer of clothing.

Here in the frozen north (Northumberland) it's academic whether it's the month of May or May blossom since the hawthorn often doesn't flower fully till early June....

Oh dear, I don't have any winter clothes to pack away.
As I'm mostly looking after GC I wear tee shirts and jeans with a fleece over the top
When it get warm I just take the fleece off.
I do wear Gillet (is that how you spell it) instead of a fleece when it gets warmer.
So only my winter coat and several pairs of boots to make way for a lghter jacket and sandles/ flitflops
Only on holiday do I wear dresses.

I think that it was only our generation who had the trackle of wearing a liberty bodice. There is the Scots in me coming out with trackle!

Liberty vests - that takes me back a few years. Do such things still exist or have we all moved on to thermals?

Liberty vest - that takes me back a few years. Are such things still available or have we all moved on to thermals?

clothes

although i wash everything before I pack it away, it always smells musty when I get it out again! Maybe not worth ironing it before storing??

I've done the swap-over already too, mostly cos the husband went into the loft and brought the luggage down a whole month before we go away! It worked out well though as the recent good weather meant that I have washed everything and put it all away. :-)
Living on the west coast of Scotland, I always keep a few fleeces handy though!

X posts, pensionpat

In Scotland a cloth is a clout, pronounced cloot. There is the dish-clout for wiping the table. Then there is a thing called a clootie dumpling - a rich fruit suet pudding boiled or steamed in a cloth, very nice with custard in the middle of winter.

I suppose the saying means "Don't cast off a layer too soon in the year" For some reason I am reminded of Andy Stewart singing "The muckin' o' Geordie's byre" which he translated as "The cleansing of George's cowshed"

Don't they have a cloutie dumpling in Scotland? A pudding wrapped in a clout which was a cloth. Maybe an old vest. I think it us for a birthday celebration.

Having had to accompany someone househunting in the last few days, that is what I have noticed most. The difference in houses concerning wardrobe space! I come home and realise my wardobe space is about 1/3 the size of some other peoples' for roughly the same size of house.

Doesn't 'clout' just mean 'cloth' or, in this case, an item of clothing?

I think we use lots of "sayings" without even knowing the meaning of the words. It's quite interesting to think about the meaning of those words though. Some of them are not used in everyday language. Only in the sayings. I can't think of any off-hand though, annoyingly. Maybe those sayings are the only things keeping those words alive.
Perhaps I should "get out more"

Thanks, BBbevan!

I think a clout was a sort of vest. Bit like a liberty bodice!!!

I am not putting any winter things away as I don't think its going to get any warmer or drier or less windy. I have given up!!!

What is a clout??

Oh! Did mum mean the progress of the season rather than literally May?? Duh!
I am a bit thick. Anyway, my hawthorn isn't blossoming yet. I wonder if my mum knew what the true meaning was. [I was mighty glad to be able to leave the Liberty bodices off!]

pensionpat that, I think has always been the question.

Wot. Is it the month of May, or the May in the hedgerows?

Oh, that would be lovely!! Mind you, as a moaning Minnie, I can't stand it too hot either. [Unless I'm lucky enough to be beside a swimming pool!]

Dear Mum used to say something like "Don't cast a clout 'til May is out!"

No!!! I feel it in my bones this summer is going to be a cracker?