tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post8763368544655776125..comments2024-03-16T00:21:43.240+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: jumpers, sweaters and the likelynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-9056127395922391472022-03-13T01:51:33.747+00:002022-03-13T01:51:33.747+00:00I was interested that couple of AmE commenters use...I was interested that couple of AmE commenters used "dress shirt" to clarify that they meant a garment with buttons down the front and a collar. To my (BrE, 30s, London-ish) ears, a dress shirt is a very specific item of clothing intended to be worn only with evening wear (a dinner jacket/tuxedo etc.). I use the unqualified "shirt" exclusively for the buttoned and collared garment because I don't know another more specific term for it. There can be confusion when talking to people who use a more expansive interpretation of the word - I'm sure I sound unhelpful and obnoxious when I say "sorry, I didn't mean polo shirt, I meant a shirt-shirt".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-78064496867601732292022-02-12T15:32:11.559+00:002022-02-12T15:32:11.559+00:00I just found this thread and was fascinated...
I&...I just found this thread and was fascinated... <br />I'm Dutch, and we call a cardigan a 'vest'. Haven't owned one since I was twenty, though I have sweaters galore, but they're still going strong among the older generation.<br />A pullover, to us, was a sleeveless item (preferably V-necked) which was worn over a shirt. But we also used another word for the same garment, one I didn't find mentioned above even though it seems of English origin: a spencer. Those items are about 50 years out of date -- haven't seen them for yonks.<br />Petra1945https://www.blogger.com/profile/06559677258676647710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-59353181493143821252019-11-20T00:28:31.145+00:002019-11-20T00:28:31.145+00:00A hoodie has to have a hood. In the U.S., a hoodie...A hoodie has to have a hood. In the U.S., a hoodie is a hooded sweatshirt.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13648798958577491265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-23614773722983729692019-04-19T15:59:12.219+01:002019-04-19T15:59:12.219+01:00BrE, mid 60s, central Scotland. Replying very late...BrE, mid 60s, central Scotland. Replying very late,in compliance with our hostess’ searchability preference (she’s never prescriptive, so it’s not a rule). If I look in a catalogue, a lot of the items discussed here come under knitwear. My generic term for these is jersey. To me, a cardigan is a jersey, as is a pullover. I also remember the first use of the term TANK TOP, usually applied to horizontally striped sleeveless pullovers. Except, I would not describe the neck as U shaped. it was square, the same shape as a water TANK. In the U.K., the term has become synonymous with sleeveless pullover. My wife follows this usage, and she’s my age. I’ve given up screaming at her “ if it doesn’t have a TANK-shaped neckline, it is not a TANK TOP”.<br /><br />I recently had occasion to look at a catalogue for industrial clothing. Tabard is as described above -tunic with no sleeves, no sides- but is regarded as warm weather work apparel for cleaners, care staff etc.Shy-replyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01891566073375322808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-13596549988290806052018-09-23T08:24:25.726+01:002018-09-23T08:24:25.726+01:00Gansey actually comes from the Norse ( Norwegian) ...Gansey actually comes from the Norse ( Norwegian) word ganse meaning a jersey, sweater, pullover, and has nothing to do with Guernsey! The one piece, seamless garment comes from Scandinavia originally.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17033955535912376462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-55408885547993003632018-08-31T22:32:40.059+01:002018-08-31T22:32:40.059+01:00as some Englishman once wrote " A rose by any... as some Englishman once wrote " A rose by any other name would smell as sweey." My, you and your respondents do go on.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10831409366218626700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-27418799237700967852018-08-25T13:40:38.272+01:002018-08-25T13:40:38.272+01:00You need a table, with a 50 word description of th...You need a table, with a 50 word description of the garment, (or a picture), to demonstrate the AmE and BrE terms. And maybe a column for Australia, Germany etc. <br />I still can’t figure out what “singlet” means in AmE, or what Americans usually call the (wife beater). Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08317679816347276008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-31140607225205475902017-12-15T17:44:09.462+00:002017-12-15T17:44:09.462+00:00I would call a sleeveless jumper...a sleeveless ju...I would call a sleeveless jumper...a sleeveless jumper. <br /><br />BrE waistcoats are called vests by British tailors.<br /><br />Gilets don’t have to be fur. In sporting contexts, commonly water resistant, sleeveless garments. Much smaller armholes than a suit’s waistcoat. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-89631072911554761362017-05-28T10:35:38.332+01:002017-05-28T10:35:38.332+01:00Growing up in SE England, we used the word jumper ...Growing up in SE England, we used the word jumper exactly as Anonymous and Simon Buck, above, described. We also wore Guernseys; very warm pullovers, very closely and tightly knitted, and perfect for sailing, which I guess is what they were first knitted for. The word 'jersey' was mainly used by the older generation in my family; those who had lived through the Second World War, and for whom a 'jersey' was something which, like a Guernsey, originated from the Channel Islands. But by then, for us at least, the word was already pretty much a generic term. I remember tabards from the 1970s. I have lived in Germany for over half my life. Here, if you're referring to a knitted article of clothing to be worn on the upper body, it's a 'Pullover'. The English word 'vest' is an 'Unterhemd', (lit. undershirt) and a waistcoat (in the BEng sense) is a 'Veste'. I teach English here, and the longer I do, the more I realise how much German has influenced American English. The word for a tank-top or (as I know it) sleeveless pullover/jumper here, is 'Pullunder'.FPRhttps://anglophoneweb.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-19394382948324982702015-07-20T10:36:55.861+01:002015-07-20T10:36:55.861+01:00I'm English and to me a jersey is a light pull...I'm English and to me a jersey is a light pullover, a pullover is a broad term encompassing all knitted upper-body garments you pull over the head, and "jumper" is synonymous with "pullover", except that the former is a slightly more of an informal, family-ish sort of word. I would be more likely to refer to a pullover without sleeves as a <i>knitted</i> tank top or simply a sleeveless pullover, as a tank top can just mean any top without sleeves, to me. <br /><br />A top is a term which is very general, and can encompass T-shirts, long-sleeved tops, sleeveless tops, strappy tops, blouses, shirts, and others. <br />Men wear shirts, women wear blouses. If a shirt does not have buttons and a collar I would not refer to it as a shirt, and the same usually applies to blouses.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-84373613237697170522015-06-28T18:46:45.158+01:002015-06-28T18:46:45.158+01:00Back in the early 2000s I was attending an ice-ska...Back in the early 2000s I was attending an ice-skating competition in France with skaters from all over the world, including the USA. Many, if not most, of us took a self-catering apartment in a big block overlooking the town, and it was, naturally, our practice to socialise.<br /><br />One evening some of us British skaters had been having coffee in the apartment of some American skaters from the Michigan area, and one of us left her cardigan in the apartment. We were surprised that the Americans didn't know what a cardigan was, and had to have it described to them before they could go and find it for her - they, I think, would have just called it a sweater. <br /><br />Incidentally, my Northern Irish husband always refers to such garments as a jumper, which to me is childish! Small children wear jumpers, but adults wear sweaters or pullovers - or cardigans!Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-88976724265398914712014-04-08T18:28:37.553+01:002014-04-08T18:28:37.553+01:00In regards to present day fashion, the fitness wor...In regards to present day fashion, the fitness world has created a craze of certain items such as gym tank tops and yoga pants that are worn as casual wear by many people on a daily basis, whether they attend a gym or not.<br /><a href="http://www.bestforminc.com/" rel="nofollow">string tank tops</a><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06648103886918867081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-15915402654356460342013-07-01T05:51:55.493+01:002013-07-01T05:51:55.493+01:00Thought you would find this interesting: I'm A...Thought you would find this interesting: I'm American, but my grandfather is from the former British colony of Nevis. To me, a wifebeater is the sleeveless top worn by a man as his only, or at least main, shirt.When I, a woman,wear the same kind of item, I call it a tank top. Besides my father and my grandfather, I've never known any American males to wear these as undershirts- but in Nevis, when used as undergarments they are called "marinos" or "merinos". *shrugs*Chloehttp://adeleblaircassiedanser.tumblr.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-22154915320746301092013-01-13T12:49:25.782+00:002013-01-13T12:49:25.782+00:00I agree with judyb: I'm french, and gilet mean...I agree with judyb: I'm french, and gilet means cardigan to us. It has to be buttoned all the way down, and it is usually made of a knit-like material.Angéliquenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-65296223300534286762012-12-15T14:27:00.814+00:002012-12-15T14:27:00.814+00:00Well, actually, Wikipedia says that "slipover...Well, actually, Wikipedia says that "slipover" is another name for sweater vest, in other words a sleeveless sweater that's typically worn over a shirt and which is known as a tank top in the UK. However, it seems to chiefly belong to commercial and garment/fashion industry jargons as it apparently gained little to no ground usage-wise among native speakers of English.Elianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16930398121025074531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-16527015650541069822012-12-15T00:47:39.331+00:002012-12-15T00:47:39.331+00:00Yes, Elian, you got it right. I never hear 'sl...Yes, Elian, you got it right. I never hear 'slipover' in English.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-5952234566280565652012-12-14T12:02:02.331+00:002012-12-14T12:02:02.331+00:00OK, now, if I've gotten it right, aside from t...OK, now, if I've gotten it right, aside from the term "pullover sweater", there's no specific word in American English for what is called a jumper or sweater in British English, the US definition of a sweater being a button-up or pullover/slipover garment made especially of knit, crocheted, or woven wool, cotton, or synthetic yarn; whereas a pullover or slipover from the American perspective can be any garment including a sweater that can be put on by being drawn over the head. Did I understand it right?Elianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16930398121025074531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-50075734162818029442012-12-14T09:05:00.624+00:002012-12-14T09:05:00.624+00:00Looking yp in the Merriam-Webster's dictionary...Looking yp in the Merriam-Webster's dictionary, a slipover is defined as a cover or garment that slips on and off easily, specifically a pullover sweater. As a French student in English language, I'd like to know if slipover is a common synonym for a pullover sweater (US) or jumper (GB) and hence can be used interchangeably, or does it sound kinf of weird or old fashioned to you native English speakers?Elianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16930398121025074531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-57643011717564655842012-09-11T14:51:45.398+01:002012-09-11T14:51:45.398+01:00Until recently, hockey players (mostly Canadian) w...Until recently, hockey players (mostly Canadian) wore sweaters rather than jerseys. (And for some reason, Aussie footballers wear guernseys.)Geoffreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06423410130579518677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-91162383723279612042012-06-07T19:09:59.738+01:002012-06-07T19:09:59.738+01:00There is a British slang term for a garment in the...There is a British slang term for a garment in the same category as Mr. Rogers' cardigan sweater which I have been trying to remember since I came across it a couple of years ago, I forget where. Did I dream of an article by Lucy Kellaway that never existed? The term specifically refers to a piece of clothing one keeps in the office because of air conditioning. Either it really was my imagination or the term never caught on, because no one I have asked has heard of it, although everyone agrees there should be such a word. We also agree the Brits would be good at inventing it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08525530421337557766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-82562927713324336352011-09-18T00:28:22.751+01:002011-09-18T00:28:22.751+01:00I am a 29 year old American woman and I use top an...I am a 29 year old American woman and I use top and shirt interchangeably when speaking in general about something worn to cover the top half of the body, other than outerwear. I have noticed men my age seem to call collared shirts with buttons that could be worn with a suit "button ups" or just a dress shirt. <br /><br />As far as cardigans are concerned, they have been a prominent part of my wardrobe (as well as my vocabulary ) since I was a teenager. My sister (she's in her early twenties) and my cousin (teenager) wear them frequently as well. Most popular clothing retailers in this country offer tons of cardigans and you will see them labeled as such on their websites. "Cardigan" is often a subcategory of "Sweater" on these sites. I would consider a cardigan to be a type of sweater. I usually take one with me everywhere I go once the weather starts to get cooler.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-79183520359107002592011-01-13T22:20:10.071+00:002011-01-13T22:20:10.071+00:00i'm British and would say BrE pullover/sweater...i'm British and would say BrE pullover/sweater/jumper/jersey has sleeves, tank top is sleeveless, hoodie more youthful reference with derogatory connotations whereas I would say hooded top. Fleece is a cold weather top from a nice insulating "fluffy" material usually with a zip front. Jersey also used for sports shirt in BrE guernsey is AusE equivalent used for aussie rules footy especially but also cricket. Fascinating post I found this searching for the difference between jersey and guernsey as i'd not come across the latter reference before I went to Australia. Cardigan knitted sweater with buttoned front. The generic "top" has a broad common usage.Marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-46755095356230150562010-08-04T17:03:53.339+01:002010-08-04T17:03:53.339+01:00August 2010. As the British mother of an America...August 2010. As the British mother of an American 16-year-old daughter, I can tell you that currently the garment referred to above as a "wifebeater" is now known as a "beater" due to the non-pc-ness of the battered wife reference. American kids also wear "hoodies" and everything from camis to frilly tops are all called "shirts". Only recently (as my son is now in 5th grade) do I come to learn what a "button-down shirt" is - but do they really mean they have to have button-down collars?<br /><br />In current clothing catalogues that come my way in America, cardigans are called cardigan-sweaters, and recently the chain store "Old Navy" has been advertising them as "cardis", notably using British (southern English) voices. I find this a comforting reassurance that I'm not completely barmy when my daughter derides me for using British words.<br /><br />Finally, back in England in the 1960s, my dad wore a sleeveless jumper/sweater over his shirt which we called a pullover. Tank tops were unflattering brightly coloured knitted tops which stopped at the waist, often with horizontal stripes and a U-neck which we teenagers wore in the 70s.semidetachedbrithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00484320875065299960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-70570598217560334112009-09-12T21:38:28.003+01:002009-09-12T21:38:28.003+01:00The sleeveless tops you call wifebeaters and say a...The sleeveless tops you call wifebeaters and say are often called 'vests' in BrE, I more often encounter called 'vest tops' to distinguish them from the undergarment (in south UK). <br /><br />They are occasionally called 'strappy tops' too.Pookynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-53917524050799572452009-04-25T22:13:00.000+01:002009-04-25T22:13:00.000+01:00Huh, I had never made the "wifebeater (sleeve...Huh, I had never made the "wifebeater (sleeveless top) -> Stanley -> Stella -> wifebeater (Stella Artois)" connection before. Makes sense. I'd always just assumed the name came from the association of the lager (despite its attempts to upmarket itself with its Pagnolesque adverts) with alcoholism, and the vests with unemployment (and possibly some racial stereotyping, given they're also known as "Guinea T's"), and the connotations of... unhealthy home life that those things invoke.Johnny Ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02332149992788801634noreply@blogger.com