In political conventions, union meetings, and other similar large meetings it’s common to prohibit anyone from entering or exiting the hall during voting. This practice is commonly referred to as “tiling the doors”. Does anyone know what the origin of this phrase is? I’ve been told that it originates from the building imagery used in Masonic rites but can’t seem to find much in the way of explanation.
Welcome! Can you give a specific cite? Were you at such a meeting/gathering where the term was used? Where did you read/hear about it?
Is is pronounced tile-ing or till-ing?.
Any more info you can give will help us.
It might help if you use the spelling “tyled”, as it appears to be what the Masons use.
According to [this](http://www.mainemason.org/freemasonry/#The Tyler) Mason site, the Tyler (other sites refer to this official as the “grand sword bearer”) is entrusted with the duty of keeping unauthorized persons out of the lodge during events and rituals restricted to Masons.
I have been unable to determine whether “Tyler” was derived from “tyled”, or vice versa. Nor have I been able to isolate the origin of either term, although one would reasonably suspect an origin relating to stonemasonry–possibly the placement of actual tiles to symbolically “brick up” a door.
I’ve heard/seen it used at both union and political conventions. I’ve only been to such events in Canada, so maybe the term isn’t used in the US.
I got the Masonic angle from an online version of Brewer’s 1894 “Dictionary of Phrase and Fable” at http://www.bootlegbooks.com/Reference/PhraseAndFable/data/1229.html
I’ve only ever seen it spelled “tiling”, never “tyling”. It’s pronounced with a long i – like what you’d be doing to your bathroom. Prounced this way, the building association is pretty apparent.
The “tyler” link is interesting. According to the site, the “tyler” is among other things supposed to keep out “cowans”. I wonder if these are the origins of these two fairly common surnames. Maybe the Masons really do run everything…
I’m a Mason, and I can fill some of the spaces. Prior to, and during a lodge meeting, the tyler is supposed to keep out anyone who isn’t a Mason. If he doesn’t recognize the newcomer, he’ll shake hands with him (to see if he knows The Grip) and ask the fellow to whisper the password in his ear. I looked up “cowan” once in a Masonic book; it’s an untrained mason, such as a fellow who would build a rough stone wall with no mortar.
–Nott