tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post4019955582586384537..comments2024-03-28T16:11:36.465+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: sleepoverslynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-36698236400880850442022-04-09T18:01:01.827+01:002022-04-09T18:01:01.827+01:00I've heard of this too - say, post-WW II, in t...I've heard of this too - say, post-WW II, in the Fifties and Sixties I guess - but then it was just a 'key party' and done with house keys, not car keys.Petra1945https://www.blogger.com/profile/06559677258676647710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-62697468674128566062017-01-31T15:29:07.452+00:002017-01-31T15:29:07.452+00:00This comment, from an anonymous Texan, is my favou...This comment, from an anonymous Texan, is my favourite of those I've seen on this site (and I've seen a lot!): '"Pajama party" sounds foreign, or perhaps Northern or Californian'.KeithDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10451059429340892054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-14412069253751210792013-07-01T06:17:17.327+01:002013-07-01T06:17:17.327+01:00To me, an American:
1) A sleepover is a casual eve...To me, an American:<br />1) A sleepover is a casual event for two or more friends, when you spend the night. The older you are, the less likely it is that you use the noun form- by high school, I'd usually tell my parents "I'm going to sleep over at X's" rather than "Y's having a sleepover."<br />2)A sleepover party or slumber party carries connotations of a bigger group, with more preparations, and often tied to a birthday or other event. Seems more juvenile.<br />3) A pajama party to me is just a daytime themed party where you wear your pajamas. I went to several of these as an elementary-school aged child. I've never heard of an adult version, though it sounds fun.Chloehttp://adeleblaircassiedanser.tumblr.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-59323481211746406502013-05-04T08:40:55.356+01:002013-05-04T08:40:55.356+01:00Some Americans just call it "an overnight,&qu...Some Americans just call it "an overnight," which sounds dumb to me, but is probably more accurate. I don't recall a lot of sleeping ever occurring during these events. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-68874823218733304372012-11-15T17:53:24.404+00:002012-11-15T17:53:24.404+00:00My (BrE, Yorkshire) sister used both sleepover and...My (BrE, Yorkshire) sister used both sleepover and slumber-party in the late 80s/early 90s; with sleepover being restricted to just her visiting a friend overnight, and slumber-party being a group overnighting.Senjinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-33590842838021305912012-10-24T15:07:14.721+01:002012-10-24T15:07:14.721+01:00There seems to be a perception that slumber partie...There seems to be a perception that slumber parties are mostly a girl thing. As a boy in the US in the seventies, I had a lot of sleepovers and one slumber party where we stayed up late talking about girls. In my experience, there were more similarities than differences between pre-teen boys and girls.<br /><br />There was even an episode of American Dad recently where teenage boys were mocked for still having slumber parties. But the word "still" implied even the jocks had slumber parties when they were younger.John Augustinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-21096494054022115672012-10-22T12:54:46.981+01:002012-10-22T12:54:46.981+01:00I had a slumber party for my 14th birthday; my sis...I had a slumber party for my 14th birthday; my sister had one as her "Sweet Sixteen." The den floor was covered in mattresses, and girls brought blankets (only outdoorsy folk had sleeping bags in the sixties) and wore cute or funny or fancy pajamas to the event. My parents served snacks and birthday cake. The first person to fall asleep would be subject to pranks of some sort. A favorite was to roll her bra into a ball, wet it, and put it in the freezer. Dirty jokes or scary stories might be told. Nails, hair braiding, facial masks and the like we're also common.Rosannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01342200538494739033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-83634462465507201552012-10-11T23:46:46.930+01:002012-10-11T23:46:46.930+01:00I just heard a character on an American television...I just heard a character on an American television show for preschoolers say, "It’s not a *sleepover* pajama party; just a party in our pajamas!" to clarify when she announced she was having a pajama party. As a 30-something American, I would have needed that clarification as a child because "pajama party" and "slumber party" would have been synonymous to me. Actually, I still would. I've heard of Pajama Day at schools during Spirit Week but never a pajama party where people dress in pajamas to attend a party that wouldn't otherwise require them!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-29212391791752942702012-10-10T18:53:54.853+01:002012-10-10T18:53:54.853+01:00I (BrE) was amused recently when my 85-year-old mo...I (BrE) was amused recently when my 85-year-old mother told me that her youngest granddaughter was going to "have a sleepover" with her. When I was young, I would spend the night with my grandmothers, but then, vocabulary changes.<br /><br />In my experience, midnight feasts were more fun in the anticipation and the planning than the reality! I was at a boarding-school and they were traditional at the end of term, despite the headmistress' efforts to ban them. The housemistresses, fortunately, disagreed and turned a blind eye.Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-28569048192333030662012-10-09T00:45:24.621+01:002012-10-09T00:45:24.621+01:00I still get a kick from telling my American friend...I still get a kick from telling my American friends that I need a kip. If interested, here's some of the funnier encounters I have had as a Brit in the US:http://allinaword.blogspot.com/2009/11/manner-of-speaking.htmlChristopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15051979669599795770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-81418740668483967682012-10-08T18:25:07.280+01:002012-10-08T18:25:07.280+01:00I'm a 40 y/o Ausyralian and I always called th...I'm a 40 y/o Ausyralian and I always called this a slumber party (if it was eg a birthday party) or sleepover when I was a kid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-45011500066975342802012-10-08T07:59:57.297+01:002012-10-08T07:59:57.297+01:00Matt describes how it is in my mind, with the note...Matt describes how it is in my mind, with the note that "Slumber party" is exclusively for girls.Sine Nominehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03135093870236335598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-10093343771338016472012-10-07T10:08:30.203+01:002012-10-07T10:08:30.203+01:00In my corner of the UK, it's always been '...In my corner of the UK, it's always been 'sleepover'. The difference is that they didn't really exist when I was a kid.Ideaswise Freelance Copywriterhttp://www.ideaswise.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-62617572784233845992012-10-04T23:33:20.807+01:002012-10-04T23:33:20.807+01:00As a 40yo Australian, I am fairly sure they were r...As a 40yo Australian, I am fairly sure they were referred to as slumber parties during my childhood. (They also usually involved an M-rated movie - in one memorable case, Poltergeist, and I've never liked that space under the bed, or clowns, since.)<br /><br />My children now refer to them as sleepovers.Mrs Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05655632448285928588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-13786803896216366952012-10-04T03:53:40.364+01:002012-10-04T03:53:40.364+01:00I live in Washington State and have 2 teenage girl...I live in Washington State and have 2 teenage girls. We generally use the term "stay the night", but I would use "sleeping over", too. <br /><br />As for going to a regular party in your pajamas for a "pajama party"-well, this is the first time I have heard of doing that, and I have to say it sounds kinda funny to me and also something only for children. I would also use the term "pajama-themed party". Though on March 2nd, the elementary kids go to school in their pajamas in celebration of Dr. Suess's birthday.<br /><br />And sadly, I do have to add that I have seen many people out in public in the middle of the day in their pajamas and slippers. I'm not kidding, either. Maybe they were on their way to a pajama party and had to stop at the store first!Dananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-12057115958625346292012-10-02T19:32:23.897+01:002012-10-02T19:32:23.897+01:00Thanks for the tip. I live round the corner from ...Thanks for the tip. I live round the corner from the Caroline of Brunswick! Will try to come to your talk next Tuesday.Tom Linesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-25736965405794349292012-10-02T15:11:26.327+01:002012-10-02T15:11:26.327+01:00idea behind it is to raise money for different cha...<i>idea behind it is to raise money for different charities, but the evening generally ends up with the students drinking lots of alcohol, causing a lot of mischief and mayhem, and having a lot of sex</i><br /><br />To be fair, that describes most evenings for British students. Ginger Yellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06103410278129312943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1318107604025758502012-10-01T23:26:50.994+01:002012-10-01T23:26:50.994+01:00I'm English and 29 (girl) and if I ever had a ...I'm English and 29 (girl) and if I ever had a planned overnight stay at a friend's house, whether it was just me and the friend or others too, it was always 'a sleepover'. And always involved a midnight feast- when we were younger anyway like aged 6-8. I went to boarding school as a teen and though I stopped midnight feasting at friends' houses, they moved to school where we would stage frankly spectacular clandestine feasts once or twice a term... seems a bit ridiculous they were such an 'occasion' as it was just food but I think the fact it was smuggled and we weren't allowed to talk when we were supposed to be sleeping made it so much fun... good timesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-50009474844317251532012-10-01T15:02:28.597+01:002012-10-01T15:02:28.597+01:00I have a teenage daughter (Gloucestershire UK). Fo...I have a teenage daughter (Gloucestershire UK). For the last few years, birthday parties have ended with a favoured few staying the night/having a sleepover. As she has become friends with boys as well as girls, boys will also stay over (though they've been heavily outnumbered by girls).<br /><br />I have never yet provided emergency contraception. I asked her about these rumours and she just thought it was funny. Our consensus was that you might cuddle an existing boyfriend during a mixed sleepover, but that would definitely be it.Rachel Ganzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16512329333010333925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-40249205413505615252012-10-01T02:41:25.352+01:002012-10-01T02:41:25.352+01:00Lately sleep-unders have become popular around her...Lately sleep-unders have become popular around here (US Midwest). Either for younger kids who aren't ready for a full night away or for groups of girls to get together for a casual party (birthday or not). Sometimes they include pajamas and sleeping bags while others are just parties that run until 10 or 11 at night. acallishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18283202722345571955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-8516651512036162472012-09-28T18:11:45.944+01:002012-09-28T18:11:45.944+01:00I'm an American mom of two teens. We use the t...I'm an American mom of two teens. We use the term 'slumber party' to refer to a group of girls spending the night at one person's house. It is most often affiliated with a birthday party so gifts and snacks usually accompany this event. It often includes activities like a movie or spa-type activities: polishing each other's nails, putting streaks of temporary color in each other's hair, etc. The girls stay up late into the night and the host home serves breakfast the following day. Teenage boys do not have slumber parties.<br /><br />Boys typically say 'sleep-over party' to refer to the equivalent of a girls' slumber party.<br /><br />"Raiding the refrigerator" almost always accompanies a male sleepover party and doesn't just include the fridge but the cupboards as well. The boys rifle through the kitchen looking for anything to eat that strikes their fancy.<br /><br />Sleep-over is a term to refer to one or two friends sleeping at another friend's house without a specific event attached to it. Nothing is necessarily planned by way of entertainment. Kids just get together in the evening, sleep in sleeping bags on the floor at bedtime and spend a few hours together the next day. Think of it as an extended play date.<br /><br />Neither my children nor I (while it was growing up) ever used the term 'pajama party.' Perhaps it is a colloquial term such as the demographic names for soft drinks, soda, pop and soda pop. But that's another blog.Wendy Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-24963704429593500742012-09-28T17:17:25.410+01:002012-09-28T17:17:25.410+01:00Apologies for the mistyped hyperlinks in the previ...Apologies for the mistyped hyperlinks in the previous comment which should have read:<br /><br /><br />Good point Lynne. My nieces did always refer to it as a "Sleepover" (at least in their pre-teen years) when they stayed with their grandparents.<br /><br />In support of Shaun Clarkson's assertion that a “Pyjama Party” is for adults if found this article in the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/leveson-inquiry/9241162/The-Murdoch-and-News-Corporation-scandal-wasnt-about-Conservative-Party-sleaze-but-it-is-now.html" rel="nofollow">Telegraph</a> (concerning the Leveson enquiry) that contains the quote: “<i>Gordon Brown’s wife, Sarah, notoriously invited both Brooks and Murdoch’s wife, Wendi Deng, to a cringe-making pyjama party at Chequers.</i>”<br /><br />I was going to assert that I had never been to such a thing and didn’t know anyone who had, but then I remembered that in my first year at Sheffield University I did take place in the “Pyjama Jump”; it was pretty much a “required” initiation (along with the “Boat Race” – another charity fundraiser, and an ironic comment on the more famous Oxford –v- Cambridge affair - which I see has now also fallen by the wayside).<br /><br />Here is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWEpR1_6T8M" rel="nofollow"> a documentary short</a> filmed before the Pyjama Jump was finally banned in the 1990s. The synopsis on IMDB includes the following: “<i>Documentary short about the University of Sheffield's infamous Pyjama Jump, where the students invade Sheffield's city centre each November dressed in drag. The idea behind it is to raise money for different charities, but the evening generally ends up with the students drinking lots of alcohol, causing a lot of mischief and mayhem, and having a lot of sex</i>” which, though my memories of the evening are somewhat vague, sounds about right.Joe1959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-87636782292964792822012-09-28T17:09:11.716+01:002012-09-28T17:09:11.716+01:00Good point Lynne. My nieces did always refer to i...Good point Lynne. My nieces did always refer to it as a "Sleepover" (at least in their pre-teen years) when they stayed with their grandparents.<br /><br />In support of Shaun Clarkson's assertion that a “Pyjama Party” is for adults if found this article in the <a rel="nofollow">Telegraph</a> (concerning the Leveson enquiry) that contains the quote: “<i>Gordon Brown’s wife, Sarah, notoriously invited both Brooks and Murdoch’s wife, Wendi Deng, to a cringe-making pyjama party at Chequers.</i>”<br /><br />I was going to assert that I had never been to such a thing and didn’t know anyone who had, but then I remembered that in my first year at Sheffield University I did take place in the “Pyjama Jump”; it was pretty much a “required” initiation (along with the “Boat Race” – another charity fundraiser, and an ironic comment on the more famous Oxford –v- Cambridge affair - which I see has now also fallen by the wayside).<br /><br />Here is <a rel="nofollow"> a documentary short</a> filmed before the Pyjama Jump was finally banned in the 1990s. The synopsis on IMDB includes the following: “<i>Documentary short about the University of Sheffield's infamous Pyjama Jump, where the students invade Sheffield's city centre each November dressed in drag. The idea behind it is to raise money for different charities, but the evening generally ends up with the students drinking lots of alcohol, causing a lot of mischief and mayhem, and having a lot of sex</i>” which, though my memories of the evening are somewhat vague, sounds about right.Joe1959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-77571033472902878272012-09-28T14:05:36.238+01:002012-09-28T14:05:36.238+01:00My current crop of 7-10 year old Brownies in the U...My current crop of 7-10 year old Brownies in the UK often suggest that we have a pyjama party: this is always understood to mean a party in which they wear their pyjamas, not a sleepover (although they desperately want that too).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-14014487783403340042012-09-28T10:52:46.054+01:002012-09-28T10:52:46.054+01:00I'm American. I think of a slumber party or a ...I'm American. I think of a slumber party or a pajama party as an actual, formalized party of girls staying overnight at someone's home. I heard the phrases, but never used either as a child, and even then thought of them as vaguely ridiculous. When I stayed overnight with a girlfriend, or she stayed with me, I would have said we were "sleeping over." I would not have referred to it as a sleepover. I believe my vocabulary is atypically formal. My mom was a literature teacher and a librarian, and she and my well-educated American Indian dad were both serious about words and language. My dad had a relationship with language maybe more typical of a foreigner who learns English as a second language, because, while he spoke English from chidhood, he was the first generation of his paternal and maternal tribes who did not speak any tribal language. He spoke American English better, and with more understanding of the language, than many for whom it was more organic because as an outsider he was more aware of it.Katherine C. Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08834591103511225376noreply@blogger.com