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Can anyone tell me where the Name Mad Hatter come from, I found out watching the TV tonight.
loopingrope
loopingrope
Where did the Mad Hatter name come from?
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I think you are right, tryalot. I remembered Alice in Wonderland but forgot the other part. Good job!!
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The Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland is derived from the phrase mad as a hatter. There are earlier mentions in print of that phrase. I cannot now recall the first but the next couple of mentions were by Thomas Haliburton, a Canadian author, in the early part of the 1800 ... 1830ish if memory serves me right.
One of my fosterlings was fascinated with the origin of phrases and adages and we spent many a pleasant hour researching in the library
One of my fosterlings was fascinated with the origin of phrases and adages and we spent many a pleasant hour researching in the library
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You girls got it right, seen on TV tonight and old hat stretcher made out of cast aluminum, it also had a cord where you could plug in to get it hot, they mentioned that they used to use mercury hence the mad hatter. I wondered if you could use that to felt knitted hats, sure would be easier and faster, but the price of the thing would set you back a pretty penny. loopingrope
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The term Mad as a Hatter originally came from Luton, Bedfordshire, UK. This is where hats were made and people making the hats were affected by the chemicals used to make them, it sent them mad, hence mad as a hatter.
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Loopingrope you have a lovely hat ! Are you a member of the Red Hat Soceity?
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I read that it was the poison they used to felt hats. They went mad and died. From mercury I believe.
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Yes I am, but that group is slowly going on to other things. I have lots of red hats and purple clothes and no place to go. No problem, seems I like to stay home most of the time and knit, not the party girl anymore. My son put a sticker on my bumper about being a party goer, I put one also, about me being a gun carrying Patroit. loopingropejgarrett28 said:
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The term 'mad as a hatter derived from hat making. Hats were formed on lead moulds/hat forms and the makers consequently developed neurological diseases. This is why lead paint is outlawed now and particularly for children's toys, cots etc as children were being damaged from chewing various objects.
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Mercury was used in the production of felt that was used for making bowler type hats 200 yrs ago. The workers developed dementia from Mercury poisoning, hence the expression As Mad as a Hatter. Stockport is where all of these types of hats were made and there is a hat Museum which is very interesting that you can visit. There is even an Hairdressers call The Mad Hatters.
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alice in wonderland. there is a tea party with the mad hatter in charge of a dormouse, the white rabbit and a couple of others which alice stumbles upon.loopingrope said:
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