The origins of the phrase "Ne'er cast a clout til May be out."

The meaning of this expression has been somewhat lost over time. It is currently used under the misapprehension that clout is some sort of dialect variant for a piece of clothing. This is understandable given the similarity between clout and cloth. The original meaning of the expression is far from an exhortation to keep wrapped up well until warmer weather has arrived.

The expression "Ne'er cast a clout til May be out" actually stems from the twin sources of sport and gentlemanly conduct. In early cricket matches, before terms like spin bowling or googly had been coined, the method of bowling was described purely based on the speed of delivery, and the ball's resulting impact on the bat. A gentle throw would be referred to as a 'nut' (the approximate sound of the impact on the bat) while a fast throw would be described as a 'clout'.

In some villages, it was common for the lord of the manor to challenge his tenants to a cricket match, fielding a team from his household. In one such case, the lord couldn't raise a team of eleven men from his household and had to resort to getting his aged Aunt May to make up the team numbers. Obviously it would be ungentlemanly, unsporting conduct to subject a member of the fairer sex to a barrage of fast bowling, consequently the village side were instructed to limit the speed of their bowling until May had been dismissed - ne'er cast a clout til May be out.

The fact that May went on to reach her century before being run out ensured the fame of this match, and the instruction's immortality.