milkmaid

The Milkmaid, by Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1658

A milkmaid or milk maid is a girl or woman employed to milk cows. She also used the milk to prepare dairy products such as cream, butter, and cheese. The term is not a female equivalent of milkman and is now largely obsolete due to the use of automated milking machines in the modern dairy industry and because milking cows is no longer considered to be exclusively "women's work".

"As smooth as a milk maid's skin"

The expression "as smooth as a milk maid's skin" means exceptionally smooth.

This phrase came about as a result of exposure to cowpox, which causes no serious symptoms, but does convey a partial immunity to the disfiguring (and often fatal) disease smallpox. Thus, milkmaids lacked the "pockmarked" complexion common to smallpox survivors. This observation led to the development of the first vaccination.

Cultural references

• The legend of the Dun Cow and the milkmaid who guided the monks of Lindisfarne carrying the body of Saint Cuthbert to the site of the present city of Durham in 995 AD.
• The eponymous heroine of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles works as a milkmaid.
• There is a famous painting by Johannes Vermeer entitled The Milkmaid (ca. 1658). Aelbert Cuyp, another Dutch artist, created the drawing known as A Milkmaid (ca. 1640 – 1650).
• William Hogarth's The March of the Guards to Finchley 1750 shows a milkmaid kissing a soldier who makes a pass at her breasts.
• One of the fables of Aesop is called “The Milkmaid and Her Pail”.
• The California native flower commonly called Milkmaids is named for its resemblance to the hat often worn by milkmaids.
• Kid Harpoon has a song called Milkmaid; the music video features actress Juno Temple.
• The 12 days of Christmas 8th day mentions a maid-a-milking aka milk maid.
• The Philippines has a condensed milk brand called Milkmaid, a product of Alaska Milk Corporation.

See also

• Maid
• Nursemaid
• Wet nurse

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