coal [OE] The Old English word col meant ‘a glowing ember’ rather than the substance that burns. The expression haul over the coals [L18th] is a metaphorical extension of what was once an all-too-real form of torture. Coal from Newcastle upon Tyne in north-east England was abundant long before the Industrial Revolution, and to carry (or take) coals to Newcastle for something redundant has been an expression since the early 17th century.