Bottom drawer
Meaning
A collection of household items, linens, or clothes accumulated by a woman in anticipation of her marriage.
Origin
During the 19th century, as young women across Britain came of age, they would embark on a secret ritual: the filling of the 'bottom drawer.' This wasn't merely a storage space, but typically the deepest drawer of a dresser or a special hope chest, where a bride-to-be meticulously collected her trousseau. Fine linens, delicate china, embroidered towels, and other domestic treasures were carefully amassed, each item a tangible dream of her future home. This collection symbolized her readiness for married life, a silent testament to her diligent preparation for setting up her own household, eagerly awaiting the day it would all be put to use.
Examples
- She had been slowly filling her bottom drawer with embroidered tablecloths and fine china since she was a teenager.
- His fiancée's bottom drawer was overflowing with beautiful handmade quilts, a testament to her domestic skills.