Put wood in the hole

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Meaning

Shut the door, usually because an open doorway is letting in cold air. Regional, informal and increasingly associated with older speakers. The 'oil' spelling represents a pronunciation of 'hole,' not lubricating oil. Regional use: Yorkshire English.

Origin

This Yorkshire expression treats the door as the piece of wood that fills the opening. Dialect spellings such as 'put t' wood in t' oil' represent local pronunciation of 'hole,' including h-dropping and a regional vowel. Modern Yorkshire dialect scholarship documents the formula, but a reliable 18th- or 19th-century first occurrence has not been established, so claims of an ancient origin should be avoided.

Research Sources

  1. Enregisterment in Historical Contexts: A Framework White Rose eTheses / University of Sheffield research
  2. Yorkshire sayings and words The Yorkshire Dales

Variants

  • Put wood in t'hole
  • Put t' wood in t' oil

Usage Examples

  • Put wood in the hole; that east wind is cutting through the kitchen.
  • Your grandad would call after anyone leaving the door open, 'Put wood in t'hole.'
  • Put t' wood in t' oil, lad, before the fire goes out.

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