Do You Know: Why "threshold"? (colour litho)

Why "threshold"? In Tudor times it was customary to strew loose rushes on the floor as a covering, and a board was placed at doorways or openings to prevent the rushes being kicked outside. This board was a "rushold", and in the passage of time the name has become threshold. Afterwards rushes were plaited to prevent them moving when trodden upon, and this foreshadows to-day's floor coverings. Rushes were a repository for all manner of things, and so the custom of placing potpourri and sweet smelling herbs in rooms links up, which has developed into the present-day practice of bringing flowers into the house. Illustration for one of a set of 50 "Do You Know?" cigarette cards issued by Carreras in 1939.