# "The down of a thistle" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-down-of-a-thistle/384755 "2006-12-19T05:58:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-down-of-a-thistle/384755/1 "2006-12-19T05:58:21Z")
From Clement Clark Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, I’m wondering what the expression “down of a thistle” means, and how it applies to the departing sleigh. I’d never really thought about it until someone asked & I didn’t know…how someone here does. Thx:-) ---
**Author:** ![pinedaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9adbd/32.png) [@pinedaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinedaway)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-down-of-a-thistle/384755/2 "2006-12-19T06:33:07Z")
I never would have thought I’d find a [Reading Comprehension Guide](http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa121497.htm) for 'Twas The Night Before Christmas which states: down of a thistle = the light material on a certain type of weed that floats away in the air also, the second picture on Wikipedia’s entry for [thistle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thistle) may help you make sense of it. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-down-of-a-thistle/384755/3 "2006-12-19T07:19:03Z")
The image: Thistle seeds are much like dandelion seeds and are easily launched into the air with the slightest puff of breath, _i.e._ effortlessly.