• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where does the word “doily” come from and What does doily mean?

Where does the word “doily” come from and What does doily mean?

May 17, 2020 by Karen Hill

We shall probably never know anything more than his surname, and we cannot even be sure that he spelled it Doily, Doiley, Doyley, or Doyly.

He lived, however, in the latter part of the seventeenth century and we are told that he was the proprietor of a linen shop in the Strand, in London.

His chief claim to popularity through the early part of the eighteenth century resulted from his introduction of some form of lightweight fabric for summer clothing, fabric which, as one writer for the London Spectator put it, was at once cheap and genteel.

Probably this material was a loosely woven woolen cloth which could be converted into garments for men or women. But it seems to have been fabricated especially for his shop and for that reason to have been known as Doily.

However, Mr. Doily did not limit his genius to the production or selling of material for clothing. He also put before his patrons a small table napkin for use when serving desserts. These were fringed and perhaps otherwise ornamented.

At first, the purchasers proudly referred to them as “Doily napkins,” but in the course of frequent use the name became abridged to doilies, by which we know similar articles today.

The name of the clothing fabric has long been in disuse.

Related Facts

  • What does the word "gauntlet" mean and Where does the word gauntlet come from?
  • What does the word incubus (succubus) mean and Where does the word "incubus" come from?
  • Where does the word "Toilet" come from and What does the word Toilet mean in French?
  • What Does the Word Scapegoat Mean and Where Did the Word Scapegoat Come From?
  • What Does the Word "Clock" Mean in French and Where Did the Word For a Large Timepiece Come From?
  • Where Did the Word "Limbo" Come From and What Does the Word Mean?
  • Where Did the Word Dollar Come From and What Does the the Word Dollar Mean in German?
  • How Do You Pronounce the Word "Colonel", What Does it Mean, and Where Did the Word Come From?
  • What Does the Word "Gimmick" Mean and Where Did the Word Gimmick Come From?
  • What Does the Word "Monger" Mean and Where Did the Word Fishmonger Come From?
  • Why Does the Word "Moron" Mean "Stupid" and Where Did the Word Come From?
  • What does the word mugwump mean and Where does the word "mugwump" originate?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Where does the word “demon” come from and What does demon mean?
Next Post: Where does the word “derring-do” come from and What does derring-do mean? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy