Meaning & Analysis
A direct admonition to remember to use respectful prefixes like 'Master' or 'Mistress' when addressing someone, suggesting one should keep the letter 'M' readily available as if carried on one's person.
Insights
Observance of Etiquette
The proverb serves as a broader commentary on the importance of observing social decorum and propriety. The 'M' symbolizes the entire code of polite conduct that one must adhere to in order to navigate society successfully.
Social Prudence
'Carrying an M' metaphorically represents the wisdom of being prepared and prudent in social interactions. It suggests that politeness is a strategic tool used to avoid giving offense and to maintain good relationships.
Conformity to Social Norms
The phrase underscores the necessity of acknowledging and conforming to established social hierarchies. Using the correct honorific is a performance of deference that validates the existing social structure.
Social Hierarchy
The proverb reflects the rigid social hierarchies of the 16th and 17th centuries, where titles like 'Master' or 'Mistress' were not mere pleasantries but essential markers of status, trade, and authority. To omit the 'M' was a significant social transgression.
Historical Symbolism
The girdle, or belt, was a practical accessory for carrying essential items like a purse or keys. Metaphorically placing the 'M' 'under your girdle' suggests that showing respect is as fundamental and necessary a tool for daily life as these other items.
Psychological Insight
The proverb functions as a mechanism of social control, subtly enforcing deference and reminding individuals of their obligation to perform respect. It highlights a cultural anxiety around maintaining social order through correct forms of address.
Linguistic Evolution
Now archaic, the proverb's obscurity highlights the evolution of social norms and language. The decline in the mandatory use of such formal titles renders the expression's original meaning inaccessible without historical context.
Rhetorical Devices
Metaphor
The core of the proverb is the metaphor of physically 'carrying an M', which transforms the abstract duty of showing respect into a tangible, portable object one must remember to have.
Idiom
The entire phrase is an idiom whose meaning is not literal. The expression 'under your girdle' was a common idiom for having something in one's possession or readily available.
Understatement
The phrasing 'You might...' is a form of gentle admonition or understatement. It corrects improper social behavior in a less confrontational manner than a direct command.
Transcription
Quotations
Neare an M by your girdle?
You might doe well to haue an M. under your Girdle.
Nere an (M.) under your Girdle.
You might carry an M. vnder your girdle to Maister Deputis worship.
To see if the Tayler that made your Gowne, hath put ne're an M. vnder your Girdle.
I like it well when you Carry an M under your girdle, governor.
What, plain Neverout! methinks you might have an M under your girdle.
Explanation
[That is, use a respectful prefix ("Master," "Mistress") when addressing or mentioning a person.]
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.