My mother, a tailoress by trade and training, had a huge (industrial size) reel of cotton that was used to patch and repair school uniforms, shorten trousers (and let them down again as we grew), replace buttons etc. "Elephant Grey" was the colour named on the label and she would view us as we came in, ripped and torn, from school and sigh "Pass me the elephant grey".
Come to think about it ~ I still say that when my boys come in with torn clothing ~ I must explain it to them one day or they will go on thinking I am mad.