How did neat’s-foot oil get its name and Where does the term neat’s foot oil come from?

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Karen Hill

When we were very young, we would apply this dressing to our rather scuffed shoes, by natural logic the inference was that the oil gave one a neat foot, hence the name.

But not so.

Though now so rare as to be called obsolete, neat was formerly a general term for cattle, more especially for oxen.

how did neats foot oil get its name and where does the term neats foot oil come from

Neat’s-foot oil, accordingly, was and still is an oil extracted from the hoofs, now also the shin bones, of oxen or cattle.

Now used as a lubricant and for dressing leather, it was at one time also used medicinally.

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About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist for zippyfacts.com. Born in New York, she loves interesting random facts from all over the world.