While you are tucking into your toast at breakfast this weekend I thought you may be interested to learn of some of the every day phrases which came about through the process by which you get your bread, or more specifically to the milling process of the grain to make flour.
On a trip to the beautiful, historic city of Winchester, well known as a place a packed with history from Alfred the Great to the Romans, the Tudors and Jane Austen, I decided to drop in to the City Mill and I was so glad I did.
The mill was working that day, milling flour which, along with recipe cards, was available to buy in the shop.
On a trip to the beautiful, historic city of Winchester, well known as a place a packed with history from Alfred the Great to the Romans, the Tudors and Jane Austen, I decided to drop in to the City Mill and I was so glad I did.
The mill was working that day, milling flour which, along with recipe cards, was available to buy in the shop.
'Keep your nose to the grindstone'
The millstones must never be allowed to run without grain. They quickly wear out and could even cause sparks which would set fire to the mill. A quick sniff of the stones would tell you if they were getting hot, hence the phrase!
'Fair to Middling'
The quality of the flour was graded fair, middling or fine. If you are feeling 'fair to middling' you're not at your best!
'First come first served'
A strict rule of milling to prevent impatient farmers jumping the queue!
'Show your mettle'
Millstones were often re-carved by travelling stone dressers. If the stone dresser had tiny slivers of metal embedded in his hands and forearms (which would have been thrown up from his stone cutting tools) the miller knew that he was experienced.
'Rule of Thumb'
Millers would test the quality and grind of the flour by rubbing a small quantity between finger and thumb. From this they would know if it were too fine or coarse and could change the conditions to rectify the grind.
