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Origin and history of clog

clog(n.)

early 14c., clogge "a lump of wood," origin unknown. Also used in Middle English of large pieces of jewelry and large testicles. Compare Norwegian klugu "knotty log of wood." Meaning "anything that impedes action" is from 1520s, via the notion of "block or mass constituting an encumbrance."

The sense of "wooden-soled shoe" is first recorded late 14c.; they were used as overshoes until the introduction of rubbers c. 1840. Originally all of wood (hence the name), later wooden soles with leather uppers for the front of the foot only. Later revived in fashion (c. 1970), primarily for women. Clog-dancing "dancing performed in clogs" is attested from 1863.

also from early 14c.

clog(v.)

late 14c., "hinder, impede the movement of," originally by fastening a block of wood to something, from clog (n.). Meaning "choke up with extraneous matter" is 1670s; intransitive sense "become choked up with extraneous matter" is from 1755. Related: Clogged; clogging.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to clog

log(n.1)

unshaped large piece of tree, early 14c., of unknown origin. Old Norse had lag "felled tree" (from stem of liggja "to lie," hence "a tree that lies prostrate"), but many etymologists deny on phonological grounds that this can be the root of English log. They suggest an independent formation meant to "express the notion of something massive by a word of appropriate sound" [OED 1989, which compares clog (n.) in its original Middle English sense "lump of wood"].

Log cabin (1770) was the typical dwelling of the poor in antebellum U.S. history in the well-timbered region that was then the West. It has been a figure of the honest pioneer since the 1840 presidential campaign of William Henry Harrison (the original application was derisive and either way it was inaccurate). Falling off a log as a type of something easy to do is from 1839.

unclog(v.)

"relieve of obstruction," c. 1600, from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + clog (v.). Related: Unclogged; unclogging.

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Trends of clog

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

constipate

1530s, "to fill or cram the intestinal canal with fecal matter," in part a back-formation from constipation, in part from Latin constipatus, past participle of constipare "to press or crowd closely together." An earlier verb in this sense was constipen (late 14c.). General sense

patten

late 14c., patin, "a wooden shoe or clog," later especially a thick-soled shoe worn by women to make them seem taller, from Old French patin "clog, type of shoe" (13c.), probably from pate "paw, foot," from Gallo-Roman *pauta, ultimately perhaps imitative of the sound made by a p

choke

c. 1300, transitive, "to stop the breath by preventing air from entering the windpipe;" late 14c., "to make to suffocate, deprive of the power of drawing breath," of persons as well as swallowed objects; a shortening of acheken (c. 1200), from Old English aceocian "to choke, suff

pester

1520s, "to clog, entangle, encumber" (a sense now obsolete), probably a shortening of empester, impester, from French empestrer...

stuff

From c. 1400 as "fill, cram full; fill (the belly) with food or drink, gorge;" from early 15c. as "to clog" (the sinuses,...

ragtime

The negroes call their clog-dancing "ragging" and the dance a "rag."...

lug

late 14c., "pull (something) slowly or with effort," from Scandinavian (compare Swedish lugga, Norwegian lugge "to pull by the hair"); see lug (n.). Related: Lugged; lugging....a broad-meaning word used of things that move slowly or with difficulty, "of obscure etymology" [OED].

obstruct

1610s, "to block or stop up with obstacles or impediments," a back-formation from obstruction or else from Latin obstructus, past participle of obstruere "build up, block, block up, build against, stop, bar, hinder," from ob "in front of, in the way of" (see ob-) + struere "to pi

hitch

mid-15c., probably from Middle English icchen "to move as with jerks or pauses; to stir" (c. 1200), a word of unknown origin. The connection with icchen might be in notion of "hitching up" pants or boots with a jerking motion. Sense of "become fastened," especially by a hook, fir

restrain

mid-14c., restreinen, "to stop, prevent, curb" (a vice, purpose, appetite, desire), from stem of Old French restraindre, restreindre "to press, push together; curb, bridle; bandage" (12c.), from Latin restringere "draw back tightly, tie back; confine, check" (see restriction). Fr

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