Old sayings that have stood the test of time

Some are understood to have their origins in 16th century but are still used today.

Cooking was very different in the past — the big kettle over the fire in the kitchen featuring heavily in most families.

Each day the fire was lit and things were added to the pot.

There was little meat available so most meals consisted of mainly vegetables.

This stew which developed over several days was eaten for dinner and the leftovers would go cold in the pot overnight and would be added to again the next day.

There was no such thing as best before dates in the 16th century in Bolton.

Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for some time.

This is where the rhyme pease pudding hot, pease pudding cold, pease pudding in a pot nine days old is thought to be originated.

Sometimes the family would manage to get hold of some pork.

This was declared a delicacy and a very special event.

When visitors came over they would hang up their bacon to show off to the neighbours.

It was thought to be a sign of wealth if a man could “bring home the bacon”.

They would cut off a little to share with guests and they would all sit around and chew the fat.

Those with money had plates made of pewter.

Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death.

This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status.

Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky in Bolton’s pubs including Churchgate’s Ye Olde Man and Scythe.

The combination would sometimes knock those partaking for a couple of days at least.

Frighteningly some people laying in the road may well not be dead but simply overcome having drunk alcohol from a lead cup but it was often difficult to decide this — doctors were an expensive commodity.

Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.

They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.

This is where the custom of holding a wake is thought to have developed.

England is old and small and the local people did start running out of places to bury their dead.

So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone house which was a place bones were stored.

The grave could then be reused.

When reopening these coffins one out of roughly 25 coffins was found to have scratch marks on the inside.

Horrifyingly this meant that some people had literally been buried alive.

So they came up with the clever idea of tying string to the wrist of the dead man or woman.

This would lead through the coffin and up through the ground and it would be tied to a bell.

Someone would be given the job of sitting in the graveyard all night — dubbed the graveyard shift — to listen carefully for the bell.

Should the bell ring this lucky soul was described as having been saved by the bell or would be called a dead ringer.

We would love to hear your thoughts on these interesting theories and perhaps you have your own sayings you would like to add.

Get in touch with Gayle McBain on 01204 537269 or email gayle.mcbain@nqnw.co.uk and we will feature this in a future edition.