Blanket Bliss

Posted on by Victoria

We’re experiencing a run of glorious spring weather in the Chicago area.

Cool nights, brilliant blue-sky days, interspersed with much-needed rain to coax all things green into their splendor. It’s a beautiful time of year and I forget from one spring to the next how glorious it is. 

Whenever possible, we’re a “windows wide open” household.  I think it’s a holdover from my mom-in-law Maxine who felt strongly about the importance of fresh air, especially at night for good slumber.  Even just an inch or two on the coldest nights…even in the deep of winter.  “Just a smidge”, Maxine would say.  ‘It’s good for your health.”

If you asked hubster, Paul, he’d say I’ve taken Maxine’s encouragement too far. Whether it’s hormones or an increasing need for cool air in order to sleep, I love the night air.  Is it bad for allergies?  It sure is. But I don’t care. Pile on the blankets, I say!

Even though my side of the bed is loaded with fluffy goodness, Paul is a spartan man, needing only a sheet and a lone blanket. Year round. Making our bed is a little tricky but he’s become an expert at it, making sure that it’s easy for me to pull up all the extra covers when I need them. 

Recently? I lost my covers during the night; the result of restlessness – tossing and turning as I tried to get comfy. (Think of a dog, chasing its tail trying to find a spot to plop. That’s me, but far less entertaining to watch.)

Finally nodding off, I woke around 2am to find Paul delicately retrieving my bounty o’ blankets so he could tuck me in.  He could’ve just yanked the wayward blankets toward the headboard and my face, but instead, he scooched the blankets around my shoulders and made sure they were nestled underneath my chin. Just way I like it – up to my neck in cozy. 

I was in a sleepy haze – definitely not awake but aware enough of the bliss I felt when he smoothed the blankets and gave my shoulder a sweet ‘pat, pat’ for good measure.  How long had it been, I wondered, as I drifted back to sleep, since I’d been tucked in?  Memories whizzed past, of bedtime routines, prayers, stories and kisses when I was young. Memories of being in the hospital once upon a time when warm blankets and gentle hands tucked me in making me feel safe.

So here I am. Thinking about the power of the phrase, “tucked in”.  Wondering if I was right about a recollection relating the term to eating – not just bedtime goodness. 😉 Here’s what I found:

***“Tuck in” according the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is a ‘phrasal verb’, meaning:

To make somebody feel comfortable in bed by pulling the covers up around them.

Yes!  So good. And this:

***“Tuck in” is also an informal phrase used to describe a feast – eating a lot of food, quickly and with enthusiasm. Sometimes associated with Aussie slang.

I like a good “tuck in” when the eats are my faves.  You, too?

And one more:

***“Tuck Shop”, a noun, describing a small shop – often near a school – that sells snacks to students; UK in origin.

I’ll need to ponder further, but at the moment I’d be hard pressed to come up with a phrase that I love more.  If “tuck in” has its origins in care and comfort with soft and soothing blankets, creating cocoon-like vibes and it also conveys a good nosh – eating with enthusiasm – I think I’ve found my new favorite phrasal verb and point of gratitude.

This etymology moment was brought to you be me…and my wayward brain.  Thanks for reading! Let me know what kind of “tuck in” suits you best, will you?

Vicki 😉

50 thoughts on “Blanket Bliss”

  2. Tucking is a loving action I associate with my children and grandchildren. That and telling them story after story I make up on the spot. Bliss all around.

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  3. I can be a bit of a thrasher, too.

    My thoughts of “tuck in” turn to my kids, and how much I enjoyed getting them snuggled in their beds. And then, as they got older, sometimes they would come tuck us in, as they stayed up to finish up
    homework and such. Ah, good times…

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    1. Hey – you just offered the best descriptive word for sleeplessness — being a “thrasher”. Perfect! And I’m with you. Tuck ins that are so snuggly. Good for all ages! Thanks, David! 🥰

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  4. Oh I do love the tuck in and all the cozy blankets and throws. Just the other day I was lamenting about having to put some away now that summer weather is here. Your Paul knows just what you need. Nothing like a good tuck in.
    I loved tucking in my kids when they were young and they still sleep like that. We called it burritos.
    And just for good measure you also evoked a good memory of the tuck shop I stopped in at every day on my way home from school for a small packet of ketchup chips. They were 25 cents back then and I treated myself very often. 🤣 Tuck is a beautiful word. Except for tummy tuck, I may need one after all those chips. And kids. 🤣

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    1. Can you see me smiling? Hear me giggling? Thanks for ALL of that! “Nothing like a good tuck in”. Yes, yes! And I love that you have tuck shop memories…I’ve heard about those ketchup crisps. Yum! And you’re bringing it with all the food fun…burritos…yes! The perfect image and description of a well-executed ‘tuck in’. So good! 🥰😜🥰

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  6. When I tucked my children in at night, I made them “snuggle bunnies.” And I like being one, too-even in the summer! Thanks for sharing a habit that’s surprisingly popular for adults. 🙂

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  7. I knew about being tucked into bed and about tucking into food, but not the UK shop definition. I don’t know how I missed that definition, I studied for a term in England when I was in college & heaven knows there were lots of snacks involved.

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  8. What a sweet story, dear Vicki! I love tucking in my kids at night. But you’ve taken my appreciation to a whole new level with this beautiful vignette and etymological discovery. Love it!! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  10. Just another reason that your Paul is a keeper 🙂
    I am team blankets Vicki! I almost always have to fall asleep on my side and pretty much stay there until about 3 AM when my numb and zinging hip force me to flip over. I want my blanket and quilt up to my chin and on really cold nights, covering my exposed ear. I have truly slept like this for as long as I can remember. Feet can never be tucked in tight however but they must be warm. My term is definitely “cocooning”!

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    1. Oh my gosh! We’re twins! We sleep the same, LOL! You’re the first person I’ve ever known who likes “ear coverage”, too. Thanks for the giggles…and yes, yes! Cocooning!
      🥰🤪🥰

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      1. So glad that my ear covering has been validated by another participant! When I spend time playing amateur psychologist I often chalk it up to a survival instinct because I know it started in childhood. Baby animal- make yourself small and hide and stay quiet. I can laugh about it now for sure but you know how I enjoy putting little threads together to make a big old heavy rope of reasons why… 🙂

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      2. I adore you…I think the origin of the behavior is the same for me. Disappearing — a little Harry Potter invisibility cloak before we knew what that was — helped us hide, retreat. I totally get that, dear Deb. Xo ❤️

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  11. What a sweet husband! You brought memories of my childhood, when my brother and I in rooms next to each other would call out to Mom, “Tuck Time!” “Tuck Time!” She’d come in an tuck me in and read a story. 💕

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    1. I love that — ‘tuck time’. What a precious memory, Elizabeth! Thanks for sharing. I don’t care how old we are, that little bit of TLC means so much. xo! 🥰

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  13. That’s where we’re different, Vicki. I do need to have some sort of covering over me when I sleep, but I hate to be hot so I also hate to feel tucked in. The first thing I do in a hotel room is untuck the sheets and blankets so I can kick my feet out the side of the bed. 😂

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  14. I am a self-acknowledged fussy sleeper. I also like a little air and a dark room. Debbie likes her air but prefers a light room. If it’s too dark, her line is, “It’s like a morgue in her.” 😊 She can go to sleep anytime/anywhere. I’m so envious of that. We often joke about this because she may be in bed four hours before I come to bed. I just don’t seem to need as much sleep as the average person.

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    1. Isn’t it wacky how different we can be in our sleep needs and conditions? Paul’s like you…more of a night owl.
      I sure wish I knew how to fall asleep anywhere like Debbie! 🥰

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  16. I have few skills in life, but I can say that I am one of the world’s best baby swaddlers. I used to swaddle and tuck in our kids all the time when they were little. Loved seeing their little smiles. And you learn something new every day. I didn’t know the food reference, but it makes a ton of sense. Ha, ha.

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  18. Paul sounds like a keeper.

    I can relate to leaving the bedroom window open a smidgen year-round. Maybe not when the temperature drops below zero, but there are plenty of winter nights when we leave ours open a crack.

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