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The meaning and origin of the expression: Put the wood in the hole

Put the wood in the hole

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Put the wood in the hole'?

Close the door.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Put the wood in the hole'?

This is a colloquial North of England expression of uncertain origin and date.

The 'wood' is the door and the expression is usually used when someone leaves a door open and lets in cold air to a warm room. Television dramas have given the term a wider audience but it is still largely confined to the North of England. Even there it is less used than before, probably due to the increased used of central heating which means there is less cause to use it.

Gary Martin - the author of the phrases.org.uk website.

By Gary Martin

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

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