Ever felt you’d been led up the garden path (and not in a ‘come and see my greenhouse tomatoes’ kind of way?) Join us on a journey through the veg beds to find out the origins of the phrase…
Being led up the garden path, meaning to be misled or caused to proceed wrongly, is a phrase dating from the early 1900s when many homes had a garden of various beds and veg plots, which pathways wound through.
The phrase is uncertain in origin but may come from the practice of village elders tricking a young man into marrying a, shall we say ‘less than attractive’ veiled bride in order to get her off the shelf.
Weddings often took place in gardens so the unsuspecting groom would be led up the garden path, to find his bride, hidden behind a veil, at the end of the garden. Once married, he would lift the veil and, if disappointed by what lay beneath, it would be too late! He had been literally led up the garden path already.
So, a rather uncharming fable about young men, but an interesting piece of etymology. We’re not so sure those veiled young women necessarily felt they’d found a real catch either. Let’s hope, despite the shallow husbands, they at least had a beautiful garden to console themselves with.
Fascinatingly, in Australia one is lead down the garden path, which we suppose makes sense, geographically speaking.
In our July issue, our My Place pages feature lots more beautiful garden paths to be led up such as the one by Libby Webb @docleaves above. The issue is on sale now or you can buy it from our online store.
Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe
