Billfold

I climbed out of the car the other day to pump gas and asked Belle to hand me my billfold. She had no idea what I was talking about.

It’s not surprising that she looked at me like I was crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever said billfold before in my life.

I’m not sure what possessed me to say it that day. I reckon I was channeling Mamaw.

Have y’all ever heard of a billfold? According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, it is a folding pocketbook for money. The word dates back to 1879.

It’s what Mamaw always called her wallet. She called Papaw’s the same. And I believe Papaw used the term, too.

It’s not something you hear very often anymore. Though it is still written quite frequently. I’ve run across it a few times while online shopping for new purses.

For me, it’s a wallet. That’s what Mama and Daddy called theirs.

Brandon says wallet, too. But he remembers both Mimi and Mama Clark saying billfold when he was growing up.

He smiled when I asked him about it. According to him, Mimi used to say, “Honey, would you grab my billfold out of my pocketbook for me?”

He said it might be the most ladylike Southern sentence ever spoken. I think he’s right.

How about y’all? Do you carry a wallet or a billfold?