May?

[Jemisa]

"Ne'er cast a clout til May is out."

My H says this means don't shed your warm clothing until the May Blossom is out.

I say it means not until the month of May is out (ended) - 1st of June

who's right? or are we both wrong?

jem

[jno]

clout is also another word for cloth, as in dishclout. That's dialectal too, I think.

[Jemisa]

Its March Fred not May so leave all 3 vests but by May I'm sure they'll be a bit 'Niffy' (Phewww)

jem

[Pragmatist]

It means that you shouldn't change out of your winter woollies until May is over - i.e. you shouldn't be wearing your summer goodies unitl the 1st of June (technically the first day of Summer!) - but bearing in mind it is an old Scottish Saying - so we were always a little chillier there!! - and we used - 'ne're cast a clout till May be oot!'

[rufuscat]

The 'May' in this case is the Hawthorn tree I think. When the May blossom
is out you should be relatively draught free if you cast off a few layers.

rufuscat

[Leva]

It is supposed to mean that you shouldn't start wearing your summer clothes until the may blossoms on the tree- if you waited until the month of May was over you would be extremely warm!

[Leva]

Yes, supposed to be when the hawthorn (or May blossom) has come out. If you wait until June before wearing summer clothes, you will be very hot!

[nennyrin]

keep your winter clothing on till end of may.

[DaisyNonna]

breech clout connection?

[pretty_snowdrop]

I thought it meant until after the month of May.

[inquisition]

My mum always usd this expression and said her mum, my grandma, reckoned it was ok to 'cast a clout' once the May blossom was out