# Did men ever actually throw their jackets over puddles so women could cross?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-men-ever-actually-throw-their-jackets-over-puddles-so-women-could-cross/427394>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 22, 2007, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-men-ever-actually-throw-their-jackets-over-puddles-so-women-could-cross/427394 "2007-11-22T02:45:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-men-ever-actually-throw-their-jackets-over-puddles-so-women-could-cross/427394/1 "2007-11-22T02:45:06Z")

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I guess the title says it all, thanks in advance.

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**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-men-ever-actually-throw-their-jackets-over-puddles-so-women-could-cross/427394/2 "2007-11-22T03:16:56Z")

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No. The story about Walter Raleigh involves the Queen, not just some random woman. Whether or not that one is true, it was never a common occurrence. The fact is that there have probably been deliberate re-enactments for dramatic, or less noble purposes, but it isn’t a social convention, and never was.

```
Tris
```

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-men-ever-actually-throw-their-jackets-over-puddles-so-women-could-cross/427394/3 "2007-11-22T04:26:48Z")

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And it wasn’t a jacket in the story. It was a cloak, which makes somewhat more sense.

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**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-men-ever-actually-throw-their-jackets-over-puddles-so-women-could-cross/427394/4 "2007-11-22T10:40:41Z")

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This is [the original version of the story](http://books.google.com/books?id=bNPNNo8yBp8C&pg=PA419&lpg=PA419&dq=raleigh+plashy+fuller&source=web&ots=x1NCLSeT72&sig=zXchh6TeG68_QhJ67VGQXqDWyZE), as recorded by Thomas Fuller in his _History of the Worthies of England_. However, this was not published until 1662, eighty years after the incident is supposed to have occured. It is true that Fuller must have written this somewhat earlier - he died in 1661 - but, like many of Fuller’s anecdotes, it is clearly meant to be read more as entertaining gossip than attested fact. It’s just a good story.

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**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-men-ever-actually-throw-their-jackets-over-puddles-so-women-could-cross/427394/5 "2007-11-22T17:12:02Z")

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Of course they did. [Cite.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNZwn6h2FhU)

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**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-men-ever-actually-throw-their-jackets-over-puddles-so-women-could-cross/427394/6 "2007-11-23T20:57:42Z")

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Very interesting, thanks all.