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I always wondered where the phrase “by hook or by crook” came from.
One google search later reveals,
“The most popular theory for the origin of by hook or by crook is as follows: In medieval England, the forests belonged to the sovereign, and no one was allowed to cut timber. The peasants were, however, allowed to take any deadwood that they could reach with a shepherd’s crook or cut off with the sharp blade of a reaper’s billhook — by hook or by crook. This theory has been applied to all of the forests and also limited to certain manors and their tenants. There is even a specific person associated with it: In 1100, William II, also known as William Rufus, was slain by an archer in the New Forest. His body was found by a charcoal-burner named Purkess (or Purkiss), who placed it on his cart and carried it to Winchester. Purkess was rewarded with permission to gather all the wood he could reach by hook or by crook (he must have gathered a sufficient amount to support his family, for it is said that his descendants still live in the New Forest).”
Thank you Word Maven.