# Welcome Mat **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 20, 2017, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361 "2017-10-20T12:17:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/1 "2017-10-20T12:17:33Z")
Ok, most of us have doormats and a lot of them say “Welcome”. And in general, we have always left ours out 24/7. maybe a seasonal one is changed out. But after listening to two olde songs that mention some variation on “The Welcome Mat is out!”, I wanted to know; was there a time where you put the Welcome mat out only when you wanted to receive visitors? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/2 "2017-10-20T12:27:04Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Ok, most of us have doormats and a lot of them say “Welcome”. Oh, no you didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/3 "2017-10-20T12:39:56Z")
Some of us have a door mat that says “Go Away”, and leave it out all the time. That’s the new one that took me a long time to find. The old one said “Welcome” on the other side and for some reason my wife would turn it over to that side when actually welcome guests were expected. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/4 "2017-10-20T12:43:45Z")
I’m thinking more GQ. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/5 "2017-10-20T12:44:38Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Oh, no you didn’t. ???😕😕😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/6 "2017-10-20T12:55:58Z")
You just guaranteed the thread will be full of people who don’t have a welcome mat or one that doesn’t say “Welcome” on it. Like myself. ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/7 "2017-10-20T13:07:38Z")
Doormats, of course, have been around forever and my WAG is that adding the word, “Welcome” got started by an enterprising maker linking his product to the Bible. “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Romans 15:7 I think the phrase is and always has been metaphorical. To tell someone the welcome mat is out is just another way to say they are always welcome. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/8 "2017-10-20T13:19:31Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > You just guaranteed the thread will be full of people who don’t have a welcome mat or one that doesn’t say “Welcome” on it. Like myself. How can you have a welcome mat that doesn’t say “Welcome” on it? It could be just any kind of mat then. Unless it’s getting to the point that the OP is asking about, do you physically put out some kind of mat just for welcome guests? Of course I don’t think the phrase “Put out the welcome mat” is tied directly to a physical mat anyway, it means you take actions to welcome someone into your home, tidying up, offering your guest the good chair, bringing out refreshments, gushing about how happy you are to have them, the things you don’t do for just anyone who might cross your threshold. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/9 "2017-10-20T14:44:47Z")
As a point of information, the term “welcome mat” appears in print first in the U.S. as early as 1872, and as a physical mat for sale. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/10 "2017-10-20T15:29:21Z")
Not a GQ answer: My two favorite door mats say “Hi, I’m Mat” and “Nice underwear”. A neighbor has a little sign by their door: “Friends always welcome. Relatives by reservation only.” ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/11 "2017-10-20T19:40:28Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > ???😕😕😕 I wonder if anyone else has noticed the username / content irony. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/12 "2017-10-20T19:50:31Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Not a GQ answer: My two favorite door mats say “Hi, I’m Mat” and “Nice underwear”. > > A neighbor has a little sign by their door: “Friends always welcome. Relatives by reservation only.” Ours is [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Love-Vacuum-Indoor-Outdoor-Doormat/dp/B0018ADZU8). It doesn’t seem to stop anyone from ringing our doorbell to proselytize, beg, or sell, but at least we tried. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/13 "2017-10-20T19:53:18Z")
A couple of my favorites: Oh no, not you again We serve only the finest wine. Did you bring any? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/14 "2017-10-20T19:56:24Z")
I think the original saying may have been, “The welcome mat is always out.” If so, there’s no implication that people sometimes take it in. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/15 "2017-10-20T20:04:59Z")
I have some friends with a cabin out in the woods. Their welcome mat is “turned around” with the idea that you’re being welcomed into the great outdoors whenever you walk out the door. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/16 "2017-10-21T04:48:56Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > I’m thinking more GQ. That’s where I thought I put it? Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/17 "2017-10-21T04:50:03Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > You just guaranteed the thread will be full of people who don’t have a welcome mat or one that doesn’t say “Welcome” on it. Like myself. Yes, but this is GQ, and those are not useful answers. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/18 "2017-10-21T04:51:14Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > As a point of information, the term “welcome mat” appears in print first in the U.S. as early as 1872, and as a physical mat for sale. Helpful, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/19 "2017-10-21T04:51:33Z")
Anybody have a Fuck Off mat? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361/20 "2017-10-21T05:12:55Z")
In my family, the sign that we were expecting company was that we left the porch light on. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-mat/799361.md?page=2)