Clothing, Men’s and Women’s

W1a What do you open up and hold over your head when it rains?

W1b If you use an umbrella (or other word) when the sun is too hot, you call it a ________.

W1c What joking names do people have for an umbrella around here?

W2 What do you call a cloth bonnet worn by women for protection from the sun?

W3 A piece of cloth that a woman folds over her head and ties under her chin:

W4 What names do you have around here for men’s coats or jackets for work and outdoor wear?

W5 The garment without sleeves that a man wears under his coat: [Asked in early Questionnaires only]

W6 What do you mean by the word ‘blouse’—for women, and for men?

W7 If a man doesn’t use a belt, what does he wear over his shoulders to hold up his trousers?

W8 Names and nicknames for low canvas-top shoes with rubber soles:

W9 A work garment, usually of blue cloth, covering the legs and sometimes the chest, worn by farmers:

W10 Work trousers made of rough cloth, usually blue, —different names and kinds:

W11 Men’s low, rough work-shoes—what names do you have for them around here?

W12a Heavy pieces of metal fastened under the soles of boots to keep them from slipping:

W12b Metal pieces under the tips of shoes to prevent wear:

W13 What kinds of rubber footwear are worn around here? [Asked in early Questionnaires only]

W14 Names for underwear, including joking names. Men’s—long, men’s—short, women’s—long, women’s—short:

W15 A shirt-length undergarment worn by women:

W16a The full-length garment that a woman wears under her dress:

W16b The garment worn by a woman under her dress—if it only goes from the waist down:

W17a Names and nicknames for clothes men wear to sleep in: [Asked in early Questionnaires only]

W17b Names and nicknames for clothes women wear to sleep in: [Asked in early Questionnaires only]

W18a The long, coat-like garment often worn by men around the house over pajamas: [Asked in early Questionnaires only]

W18b The long, coat-like garment often worn by women around the house over nightclothes: [Asked in early Questionnaires only]

W19 Names and nicknames for the folded cloth worn by a baby in place of pants:

W20 If somebody has no clothes on at all—for example, “There was Johnny, ________.” or, “They went in swimming ________.”

W21 Soft shoes that people wear only inside the house:

W22 What do you call a loose, full housedress that ties at the waist?

W23 When a collar or other clothing works itself up out of place, you might say, “It’s ________.” [Asked in early Questionnaires only]

W24a What expressions are used around here to warn a woman slyly that her slip is showing?

W24b Sayings to warn a man that his pants are torn or split:

W24c Sayings to warn a man that his trouser-fly is open:

W25 When a woman is cutting out a dress to sew, what do you call the little scraps of cloth left over?

W26 When a piece of clothing has been used until it gets thin and breaks, you’d say it was ________. [Asked in early Questionnaires only]

W27 What do you call a three-cornered tear in a piece of clothing from catching it on something sharp?

W28 When a woman is in a hurry and has to sew up a torn place quickly, she might say, “I’ll just ________.”

W29 What expressions do you have around here for things that are sewn carelessly? “They’re ________.”

W30 When a woman adds decorations to make something more attractive—for example, a hat, she might say, “It’s too plain—I think I’ll put on a few flowers to ________ it up.”

W31 What kinds of fancywork do women around here generally do? (Local specialties?) [Asked in early Questionnaires only]

W32 What names do you have around here for a group of women that meet to sew together?

W33 What do you call the jewelry that goes around a woman’s forearm?

W34 Jewelry that a woman wears on her ears: (Gesture.)

W35 A piece of jewelry that a woman wears fastened at the neck of her dress:

W36 What do people say around here about a woman who uses a lot of cosmetics?

W37 When a woman puts on her good clothes and tries to look her best, you say she’s ________.

W38 When a man dresses himself up in his best clothes, you say he’s ________.

W39 Joking ways of referring to a person’s best clothes:

W40 What do people say about a woman who overdresses or who spends too much on clothes? [Early QRs: . . a woman who dresses up a lot or who spends too much on clothes?]

W41 What expressions do you have for someone whose clothes never look right or who always dresses carelessly?

W42a What nicknames do you have around here for men’s sharp-pointed shoes?

W42b And what nicknames for men’s square-toed shoes?

W43 What joking words do you have for clothes in general?

DARE Data Summary by Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.