Clogmakers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Craftspeople who shape and produce clogs, the wooden-soled shoes traditionally worn in parts of Europe
2. Workers or artisans whose trade is manufacturing clogs, footwear with thick wooden or sturdy soles
3. Makers of wooden-soled footwear known as clogs, often skilled tradespeople working by hand

Etymology: "Clogmakers" is the plural of "clogmaker," a compound formed from "clog" and "maker." Both parts are old English words in their own right: "maker" comes from the verb "make," and "clog" in its shoemaking sense refers to a heavy shoe or overshoe with a wooden sole. The compound dates to Middle English, the period after the Norman Conquest when English was being reshaped in everyday speech. The "clog" half has a looser history than the "maker" half. A clog was originally a block or lump of wood, and the word was later applied to footwear that used such a block as its sole, which is why a clog and a clogmaker are literally a wooden-soled shoe and the person who fashioned one. The compound is transparent: there is no hidden metaphor, just a craftsman named by what he or she made.