tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post8944533907989822739..comments2024-03-16T00:21:43.240+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: shoeslynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-68228933789896176782017-11-15T12:09:39.008+00:002017-11-15T12:09:39.008+00:00The problem with your dad's theory, Joe, is th...The problem with your dad's theory, Joe, is that these items are recorded as having been referred to as "daps" before Dunlop started making them (in 1925). The Liverpool Rubber Company had been making plimsolls (or pumps, as we called them in the West Midlands) for nearly 100 years before their business was taken over by Dunlop.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10718209592445394736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-46710895297079503072017-06-08T20:44:14.690+01:002017-06-08T20:44:14.690+01:00The Draft Additions to the OED for cleat read:
a...The Draft Additions to the OED for <i>cleat</i> read:<br /> <br />a. Usu. in <i>pl</i>. Each of a number of small studs, typically made of plastic, rubber, or metal, which are set into or fastened to the sole of a shoe or boot to improve grip. Hence (chiefly <i>N. Amer</i>.): (in <i>pl</i>.) a pair of sports shoes having such studs on the soles.<br /><br /> b.<i> Cycling</i>. An attachment for the sole of a cycling shoe which clips on to a specially designed pedal, keeping the foot in place and improving the efficiency of pedalling.<br /><br />The earliest quote found for <b>a</b> is from 1892 in the <i>Shoe & Leather Reporter</i>. The earliest quote for <b>b</b> is from 1964 in <i>American Cycling Newsletter</i>.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-40782370778420692972017-06-08T15:35:28.044+01:002017-06-08T15:35:28.044+01:00Many years on, but you've just brought it up a...Many years on, but you've just brought it up as a DotD, so an add-on: "cleats" is now (since the 1980s) used in both BrE and AmE for the attachments on the sole of cycling shoes that attach to a "clipless" pedal. Their precursors for old-style pedals with toeclips and straps were called "shoeplates" here and (I think) "cleats" in AmE. I believe that that usage of "cleats" comes from the little nailed-on metal plates that were once used to protect/reinforce the tips and heels of boy's school shoes (and to make sparks when you kicked along flinty concrete), which were known as blakeys in BrE (which I assume was the trade name).Albert Herringhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05195446593237255598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-62179408822184779872013-09-14T05:27:34.525+01:002013-09-14T05:27:34.525+01:00Some say that a spike heel tapers evenly to a smal...Some say that a spike heel tapers evenly to a small 1/4 inch or less tip; whereas a true stiletto follows the traditional shape of a slender high heel, curved inwards to achieve maximum thinness for at least half its height and thus being 1/4 inch or less in thickness for at least half its height. There are also pencil heels, sometimes called pin heels or even rapier heels, that are shaped like a round cross-section pencil for at least 3/4 of their height (or length!) and are about 1/4 inch or less in diameter and often made entirely of steel, sometimes covered in the shoes material and sometimes left exposed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-570648937995219122013-09-14T05:06:54.590+01:002013-09-14T05:06:54.590+01:00Some of my family and my school headmaster and som...Some of my family and my school headmaster and some of the pupils parents would have also been mortified to hear any of us using the word "toilet"; the prefered word was "lavatory", - "toilet" was regarded as lower middle class. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-6230659634103400862013-09-14T04:42:10.758+01:002013-09-14T04:42:10.758+01:00BrE is kinky boots (sexual kink as they were based...BrE is kinky boots (sexual kink as they were based upon S&M 'underground' boots; true ones had high stiletto heels) by the time of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Were Made For Walking" they were known as Go-Go Boots in AmE.<br /><br />In BrE kinky boots, also knee boots as opposed to calf boots and thigh boots, were distinct from "bootees" which were women's (ladies'!) dress ankle boots with or without high heels; though I haven't heard that term for more than 40 years, except from 80 year old women and ladies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-69838238510716148412013-01-06T15:44:32.532+00:002013-01-06T15:44:32.532+00:00Tennis shoes here, but really tenna shoes ;) no on...Tennis shoes here, but really tenna shoes ;) no one I know actually pronounces it all the way out. Mindynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-73071628283292074252012-12-30T04:41:14.994+00:002012-12-30T04:41:14.994+00:00They're the same thing, as far as I'm conc...They're the same thing, as far as I'm concerned. Corpus of Historical AmE has two 'spike heels' pre-1960, but since the 60s, 'stiletto (heel)' has become the term of choice in AmE. lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-31190077495197720602012-12-29T20:54:06.438+00:002012-12-29T20:54:06.438+00:00What's a spike heel compared to a stiletto hee...What's a spike heel compared to a stiletto heel then? Always thought that "stiletto heel" was chiefly BE and "spike heel" the AE equivalent. Apparently the former gained ground on the latter among AE native speakers.Elianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16930398121025074531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-61643336415759338562012-01-17T09:29:29.437+00:002012-01-17T09:29:29.437+00:00Having lived in South Africa, I'm surprised yo...Having lived in South Africa, I'm surprised you didn't mention that we call trainers/sneakers (or anything similar) 'takkies', as one Anonymous has pointed out. <br /><br />I've never heard anyone here say 'slip-slops' instead of 'flip-flops', but we will call them 'slops'.<br /><br />(As a comment on another article of yours about toilets, I'm also surprised that you dropped your use of the word 'bathroom' while in South Africa - everyone I know says 'bathroom' or 'loo' and would be mortified if someone asked where the 'toilet' was!)lanerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15041484982248420228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-48386399214825776322011-12-15T12:15:24.215+00:002011-12-15T12:15:24.215+00:00In some parts of Britain, "gym shoes" ar...In some parts of Britain, "gym shoes" are referred to as daps. This is especially the case for older generations, as the word was very popular in the period around the 1970s. <br />Thank you for highlighting this aspect of our (BE speaker here!) differences in a reader-friendly and fun way.<br /><br />Megan Onions<br />http://www.veritaslanguagesolutions.com/Megan Onionshttp://www.veritaslanguagesolutions.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-36528200128334568842011-11-28T21:54:03.821+00:002011-11-28T21:54:03.821+00:00Interesting. I would definitely would have referr...Interesting. I would definitely would have referred to the "trainers" as tennis shoes or sneakers, not runners, running shoes, or gym shoes. I don't see them as suitable for running or going to the gym.<br /><br />And I regard the two examples that you posted for kitten heels as kitten heels.Aritulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01687717613812613840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-27140466582863082062011-11-20T00:22:54.427+00:002011-11-20T00:22:54.427+00:00Coming to the party late. From the American Midwe...Coming to the party late. From the American Midwest so I say flip flops and tennis shoes.<br />I always consider mary janes as having a T strap not a single one across the instep. That being said, in the theater world mary janes with a single strap and heel are called character shoes.<br />To confuse things even more, I've heard mules (the frou frou slip on shoes with a heel, usually worn with a negligee in old movies)called slides but have also seen casual slip ons with open toes called slides. Is that just regional?<br />What about slippers, houseshoes and bedroom shoes? I think the latter is regional since that's what my Southern Mother called them.wedge firmlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06140272531802197376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-74640093314696199732011-11-18T07:18:07.357+00:002011-11-18T07:18:07.357+00:00In NZE, like many have said flip-flops are called ...In NZE, like many have said flip-flops are called jandals. Though most people would understand what you are talking about when flip-flops/thongs are mentioned. It was quite a suprise to learn that jandal was only used in NZE when it is such a handy term that doesn't have the thong connotations or is kind of childish sounding (in my mind) like flip-flop. The plimsolls that you showed in your post would most likely just be called Keds, just like Converse shoes would be called Chucks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-83288972863972686452011-10-21T01:01:25.094+01:002011-10-21T01:01:25.094+01:00I also wanted to weigh in on "daps" for ...I also wanted to weigh in on "daps" for "plimsolls". My father, who grew up in South Wales in the '40s & '50s, has always called that type of shoe "daps". He is adamant that the name is an acronym from "Dunlop Athletic Plimsolls". however, he uses the word to describe any canvas-shoe-with-a-rubber-sole, not just the products of the Dunlop company.<br /><br />I always thought "brothel creepers" were the thicker-soled soft shoes worn by Teddy-Boys in the U.K., and Greasers/ rockabilly fans in the U.S. Often with a suede or velour top panel in leopard-print, or something equally ghastly.Joenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-76206357199478113562011-10-20T21:46:20.742+01:002011-10-20T21:46:20.742+01:00Peter Matthew Reed: the map showing where the dif...Peter Matthew Reed: the map showing where the different dialect terms for pump/dap/plimsoll etc are predominant appears in The dialects of England by Peter Trudgill. It's visible on Google Books.Pickynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-78358279095028223922011-10-17T09:35:30.479+01:002011-10-17T09:35:30.479+01:00I'm really surprised to discover that 'sne...I'm really surprised to discover that 'sneaker' isn't universal across the US!freerunhttp://www.nikefreerunzone1.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-81134434238833394832011-10-16T23:41:08.700+01:002011-10-16T23:41:08.700+01:00Tennis shoes to me, in the UK, are Green Flash. W...Tennis shoes to me, in the UK, are Green Flash. Which is to say these: http://www.jamesandjames.com/products/dunlop/dun1555whgn.htm<br /><br />You might have them in other colours but green was the standard at my school and that was what we all wore for tennis (and other things that weren't hockey or lacrosse).Roshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669423378438380019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-31350434587286486462011-10-04T16:58:15.401+01:002011-10-04T16:58:15.401+01:00Speaking from experience as an AmE speaker who fre...Speaking from experience as an AmE speaker who frequents UK shoe shops, referring loudly to "pump" or "pumps" might get the kids giggling (BrE "pump" = "fart")Tanianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-34624789511354972382011-10-04T10:42:55.441+01:002011-10-04T10:42:55.441+01:00Couple of comments: according to a biography of Pl...Couple of comments: according to a biography of Plimsoll, plimsolls were so called because they were waterproof up to the line and not so above.<br /><br />And what you describe as ballet pumps are called "dolly shoes" by my teenage daughter and all her friends in Glos, UKRachel Ganzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16512329333010333925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-62201503517809101332011-10-04T01:25:04.123+01:002011-10-04T01:25:04.123+01:00Okay, here's a new one for your amusement. On...Okay, here's a new one for your amusement. On the blog of the King Arthur Flour company, one reader wrote to say that the apple "slab pie" under discussion, called Apple Slices by some of the posters, was called "Boots" in her house, because her husband's mother "used to send it to him at Boy Scout camp in a box from a pair of boots. Treats from home were always attacked and eaten by all the guys working there, but a pair of boots sent from home cause “my other pair got wet”? Always safe from thieves."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-40229569481005671152011-09-27T16:35:18.147+01:002011-09-27T16:35:18.147+01:00The comments are getting a bit repetitive!The comments are getting a bit repetitive!lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-63616480076873406332011-09-27T04:24:23.839+01:002011-09-27T04:24:23.839+01:00On the subject of flip-flops, aussies always call ...On the subject of flip-flops, aussies always call them thongs, and it has the other meaning there too, and kiwis call them jandels.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1303760502389081512011-09-20T15:41:15.862+01:002011-09-20T15:41:15.862+01:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-19470989606794295502011-09-19T14:14:47.446+01:002011-09-19T14:14:47.446+01:00Bit late to the discussion, but just wanted to add...Bit late to the discussion, but just wanted to add that 'trainers' had pretty much become the only term in town (for practically any type of sporty shoe) when I was growing up in Scotland in the 80's/90's. Have never actually heard the word 'plimsoll' used in conversation in Scotland (sounds very Enid Blyton to my ears), and the 'sand shoes' mentioned above by a couple of my compatriots was definitely before my time.Spanish Cowhttp://spanishcow.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com