Hoardings: A History

[Neil Ward]

Barb was tken aback by British references to hoardings:

<< In subsequent posts, of  course, I discovered that the word is in fact
"hoarding(s)" but I still find this rather odd.  I could conceivably think
of a plausible etymology for "boardings" (see above) but I admit to being
mystified about the real word.  Anyone in the UK (or out of it) have any
idea how this term came to be used this way? >>

My trusty dictionary defines a hoarding as "a large, usually wooden,
structure, used to carry advertisements etc. or a board fence erected around
a building site etc, often used for displaying posters etc."  It seems to
derive from the Anglo-French (i.e. mediaeval)  'hurdis' or Old French
'hourd', relating to hurdle.

Apart from being something you have to jump over in a race (or life itself),
a hurdle is also "a portable rectangular frame strengthened with withes or
wooden bars, used as a temporary fence etc." or "a frame on which traitors
were dragged to execution" (this is marked as 'historical' I hasten to add).

I also looked up 'withe' - it's basically a bendy shoot, often of willow,
used to tie bits of wood together. [Other listmembers: "He didn't know what
a withe was!  What a dunce!!!]

Neil (who never knew pieces of wood could be that interesting)