17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Saturday, August 17, 1912: We had to keep house today because Ma and Pa and the kid went to a reunion up at Muncy. Was working all morning a trying to get house red up somewhat.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Grandma and her sister Ruth would have been home alone. The probably had to do both household and farm chores.
The kid refers to their 7-year-old brother, Jimmie
I think that “red up” is an old rural Pennsylvania (probably Pennsylvania Dutch) term that means tidy up.
When things are scattered around my house, I’ll say to my family, “We need to red up the house.”
Since my husband and I both grew up in central Pennsylvania he’d know exactly what I meant—though our children would roll their eyes.
A Hundred Years Ago 
Love the red-accented house
I also like them. The current owner has a nice sense of how to use color.
It is also an Amish saying. I have heard my cousins use it.
I also like the red shutters on the house.
My relatives aren’t Amish, but I think that many of the people of German descent in Pennsylvania used similar phrases.
What a lovely home. Did you grow up there as well?
No–When I was a child, the son of Grandma’s oldest sister Besse lived in the house.
Was Besse by chance a Brassington? If so she would be my great grandmother!
No, Besse’s maiden name was Muffly. Her married name was Hester.
I grew up with this saying, so smiling here! Maybe it’s short for “ready-up” the house? Love the photo! (And I ended up taking a different route last month to visit my folks, so wasn’t near your grandmother’s neck of the woods. Next time!)
You might be right that it means ready-up.
Hope that you have a nice visit with your family.
I am sure Helena and Ruth also rolled their eyes! My aunt still did up until she passed away at age 85 a few months ago..my daughter takes after her!! LOL Blessings – Patty
It’s awesome that your aunt still cared about redding up even in her later years.
Big house for 1912, do you know which window your gramma looked out of?
I don’t know which window would have been her bedroom.
In our family the phrase was “red the table.” I always thought it was Pennsylvania Dutch, as my grandfather’s people came from there and it appears that there was a strong Mennonite factor in the 1700s. On the other hand, I saw the same phrase used in a book by Sharyn McCrumb, a novelist who writes about Appalachia and the Scots-Irish, and she thought it was a Scots-Irish term.
What I know is that the term has come down from my mothers side which had both Pennsylvania Dutch and Scots-Irish lineage, and I have used the term all my life, to the hilarity of my children — i.e, ” What does “red the table mean, Mom” — followed by peels of giggles.
I also tend to think of the term as being Pennsylvania Dutch in a very broad sense (not just Amish or Mennonite–but a broader group of people with a German background). Interesting how Sharyn McCrumb thought it was Scot-Irish.
You are correct it is a Scots/Irish term. It comes from the Danish term ryddy op which means clean up. It entered in the English language about 1000 years ago. It is refered to as “middle english.” The Scots and Irish brought it over and any where they settled to work in the mines through out the North East you find it said even today. I ran into the explaination when I was writing my blog on City Chicken. I still redd up my house. You hear it said all over Western Pa and West Va.
Wow, it’s amazing how long ago it came into the English language and how it got over to some of the states in the Northeast.
Without reading the other comments (I’ll read them when I’ve posted)… I think “red-up” is short of “ready” “Make ready”….
Glad to see trkingmomoe’s explanation. We learn something every day. 🙂
The history of this term is really interesting.
Wow, I’ve learned a great new phrase and its history — I learn a lot from this blog and its readers!
I’m fortunate to have some really smart readers. I also learn so much from them.
From Pa Dutch for sure. Tidy up means to put things back where they go but red up is broader and includes to clean things if necessary as well
Thanks for clarifying. I grew up using the term, and had never really thought about the distinction between putting things away and cleaning – but you are absolutely right, we do both when we “red up.”
My Scots-Irish/English Granny said that about housework. Red up the house before we can go to town on Saturday. 🙂 She was born in 1893 and lived to be 103 years old.
Wow, your grandmother lived a long life. She must have had good genes. My family red up the house, too – often before we expected visitors (or, as we called them, company).
I still say red of the house and my kids laugh. This was a common term as well as you’ens.
“You’ens” is another good word. I’m not sure why the next generation doesn’t appreciate them. 🙂
In Danish, which borders northern Germany, “ryd op” means to tidy up in the house. Could be coincidence
This is really interesting. Your explanation of the possible origins of this phrase makes a lot of sense. The “Pennsylvania Dutch” are originally from Germany, and I could see how their ancestors could have picked up some phrases from neighboring Denmark.
Right? I’ve heard “red up” most of my adult life from friends from western PA. I just assumed it was short for “ready up”. I recently moved to Denmark and am learning Danish. It was a revelation seeing that ryd op meant tidy up.
After writing that previous reply, I did some more digging and learned that *redde op* is from old German. Most Northern European languages are derived from old german, including English
This is fascinating. Over the years I’ve heard to many negative comments when I’ve used terms I grew up using like “red up,” and it’s really nice to hear that the phrase probably came from old German.