Warming Your Cockles

For some reason (likely, my questionable upbringing in East Helena, Montana), I always assumed the phrase about “warming your cockles” had crass or dirty connotations.  Not until yesterday did the thought occur that I might search the net for specifics. 

Turns out, cockles are neither low-hanging or protruding in any manner.  They have origins in science and anatomy (rather inexactly interpreted). 

According to a certain John Frith:  The cockles of the heart are its ventricles, named by some in Latin as "cochleae cordis", from "cochlea" (snail), alluding to their shape. The saying means to warm and gratify one's deepest feelings.

Well, I’ll be jiggered…whatever that means.

—Mitchell Hegman

Sources: dictionary.com, smh.com