From: mg 
Newsgroups: alt.architecture alt.building.construction alt.building.realestate misc.consumers.house uk.d-i-y
Subject: Re: What's This Board?
Date: Sun, 27 Jun 2004 16:26:42 GMT

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 12:02:48 -0400, "Misterbeets"
 wrote:

---------Snip---------
>
>I've always assumed "half-timbered" referred to the fact that the wood was
>only stuck onto the wall, and did not go through it. Why would authentic
>structural wood be "half" anything?
>
>
let me take a stab, not knowing but like to post when given the chance
and this being the net where just about anything goes.........

being full lumber, with only partial exposed, the technique was
expressed in a term in what could be seen from the exterior, half of
it.

hence the term half timber. terms are just expressions, not
definitions.

you would have to go back to the beinging and find out who coined the
term and find his reason for the expression.
.my guess