‘Ne’er Cast a Clout Till May Is Out’

The traditional warning “Ne’er cast a clout till May is out” advises against discarding warm clothing too early in spring. Its familiar ambiguity is part of the proverb’s folklore: “May” can be read as the month of May or as may blossom, an old name for hawthorn blossom.

The saying should not be treated as a precise weather rule. Its interest lies in the cultural overlap between seasonal weather, clothing and the flowering of hawthorn.

Source trail: Royal Horticultural Society material discussing both readings of the saying; botanical and seasonal context from Woodland Trust.

Related Journal record: Hawthorn in British Folklore.