The expression "foot of the stairs" has been familiar to me, it seems all my life. I grew up in a two story house in PA and later on in my adult life, the first house we built in Fair Oaks, CA was two story. I have always thought it an odd saying and for years have had the idea that I should find a piece of sculpture or piece of artwork, resembling the foot of the stairs, a logo. I have searched galleries and artifact places looking for something suitable and have not found just what I wanted. Now that we again live in a home with stairs, upstairs and downstairs, I resumed my search, but to no avail. 
Until last week at a local thrift store a bright gold metal ladies boot attracted me, best of all it was marked to half off and only $5. It became a place holder for the foot of our stairs where it has taken its place. It was made in Taiwan (at least not China) and is rather heavy, I thought someone perhaps had repainted it but it does look like that's the way it was. I may fill it later with some silk plant or who knows what to emerge from the top. I also seems the style for the era when the washer next to it was used.... So while I continue my search for an actual "foot" type object, the golden shoe will do. Jerry, who has learned over 46+years with me to never try to anticipate what treasure might attract me, thought this was not all that bad and having been along on searches for a proper foot of the stairs, asked if the search would now be over? Well, "no" it's not really a foot but will serve until the foot shows up. So the golden shoe joins the other decor at the foot of the stairs, my grandmother's old metal washer used when laundry was done by hand, perched atop is the fabric angel made by my friend Sandy years ago and this spring a new whimsical turtle along with floral vine added their presence.
I had decided at Christmas time to display the old washer relic there and adjust its decor throughout the year, for St Patty's time it was a shileleigh of sorts. Its roles are certainly steps up in luxuroious retirement when considering its uses in it's early life, pre our modern washeing machines. I used to think the old wringer washers one of which my aunt Jinx kept and used for certain items all her life were antiquated but when I think of how hard it must have been to boil the water on a wood or coal stove, pour it into wash basins or troughs and attack it with the likes of this metal wooden handled relic, to scrub clothing, well, we do have it much easier... Lots of toil back then, hard physical work. On the other hand my ancestors did not spend time thinking of the foolish things that I do, "foot of the stairs..."
 |
| Array at the foot of our stairs |
Another Google writer shared: "This saying originated in the North of England but did travel to others parts of the UK during the 20th century, notably the Birmingham area where it was commonplace, but not much further, and is little known in other parts of the English-speaking world. It is now less used than previously, although it is still staple fare for any writer wishing to write a part for a stage northerner. There are also less well-known alternatives with the same meaning - 'the back of our house' and 'the bottom of our garden'. All the variants were too low-status and colloquial to have been written down and I can find no printed examples of it until the late 20th century. The expression is certainly older than that and I have a clear recollection of my parents using it in the West Midlands in the 1950s and I would guess that it is older still. Beyond that there's little more to tell. Exactly when the phrase was coined, by whom, and what it refers to, I don't know"
Well the phrase certainly made its way across the Atlantic and as far west as western PA where I grew up and simply heard it as a common expression of location like, erhaps some of my Brit blogger pals can expound..". . it is mostly Northern English, and more particularly related to Yorkshire. Apparently, it is still in use. It is frequently featured in sitcoms etc when there is a typical Yorkshire character, in order to add a bit of local 'colour'. No one seems to know where the expression comes from. Why: "Go to the foot of (the stairs)"? Why would it come into it at all, when expressing surprise? Or is this one of those deliberately absurd phrases used in a tongue-in-cheek way? "Our" seems to imply the person is talking about his or her family-home." So you know now more about the foot of the stairs than you ever expected....oh and yes, I have also been searching for that perfect item to resemble the "head of the stairs...." a Google search for the origin of that expression finds nothing but instruction on stair building, beyond my interest level. Somewhere ot there is a sculptor who has the perfect head and foot resemblance for me. I will keep searching.....• “She had run up in her bedgown to his door to call him as usual; then had gone back to dress and call the others; and in ten minutes was walking to the head of the stairs with the candle in her hand.”....Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Long email from Tom who now ponders this:I grew up with both those sayings though they never had meaning beyond the bottom or top of a stair way. Were never used as a form of exclamation. My heritage, mostly goes back to the south before the civil war then paternal grandparents from MO and IN. MO on the maternal side and no history of prior generations. I may have some info in my files though the folks who have researched the past did not concern themselves with the Phipps side. Interesting that such usage was attributed to something with such a plain, simple physical meaning. That would make about as much sense as shouting "Garage door!" if you stubbed your toe on the foot of the stairs. :-) Tom
ReplyDeletePS: Thinking about it, we, nor any of our close kin, ever lived in a multi story house though some had a basement, more commonly known as a cellar to us. For the two or three steps at the front or back porch, the foot was mentioned if describing the location of something. But, I can't recall ever hearing the head of the stairs mentioned except where a full flight existed. The top of those steps was simply the porch. That brings up a question about the origin of flight as an adjective to describe a stairway, which is about as stationary an object as can be found anywhere. Now; see what you started! I'll probably muddle through these questions throughout the rest of the day. Ha, ha. Tom
Pat pat, although I had heard this phrase before, I now know a Loy more about its origins thanks to your informative post.
ReplyDelete