Willa Cather, Shadows on the Rock (1931).
Related reading
All OCA Cather posts (Pinboard)
[Copper : “chiefly British : a large boiler (as for cooking).” Clout : “dial chiefly British : a piece of cloth or leather : RAG.” Definitions from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary .]
Friday, September 16, 2016
“One made life”
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comments: 2
Clout also - in days of old - had the specific meaning of a piece of clothing, as in the proverb "ne'er cast a clout before May is out". People argue as to whether this means the month, or the flowering tree (better known as hawthorn) which in the north of the country typically flowers in that month anyway.
In the quoted context though I am sure it means generic cloths or rags.
Thanks, Richard, for that extra dimension of the word’s meaning.
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