- skip - Brewer’s

Hammercloth

.

The cloth that covers the coach-box, in which hammer, nails, bolts, etc., used to be carried in case of accident. Another etymology is from the Icelandic hamr (a skin), skin being used for the purpose. A third suggestion is that the word hammer is a corruption of “hammock,” the seat which the cloth covers being formed of straps or webbing stretched between two crutches like a sailor’s hammock. Still another conjecture is that the word is a corruption of “hamper cloth,” the hamper being used for sundry articles required, and forming the coachman’s box. The word box seems to favour this suggestion.

 

previous entry · index · next entry

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

previous entry · index · next entry

Hamadryads
Hameh
Hamet
Hamilton
Hamiltonian System
Hamlet
Hammel (Scotch)
Hammer
Hammer
Hammer of the Scotch
Hammercloth
Hampton Court Conference
Hamshackle
Hamstring
Han
Hanap
Hanaper
Hand
i. Hand (A)
ii. Hand
iii. Hand