# Accounting garb...

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accounting-garb/96646
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 3, 2001, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accounting-garb/96646 "2001-12-03T16:49:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2001, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accounting-garb/96646/1 "2001-12-03T16:49:38Z")

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…Why are accountants usually depicted as wearing a green visor and an arm band? Anyone?

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### Author: ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2001, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accounting-garb/96646/2 "2001-12-03T17:26:10Z")

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Isn’t that for bookies?

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### Author: ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accounting-garb/96646/3 "2001-12-03T17:27:23Z")

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…but my friend insists it is accountants. Trying to get the dope.

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### Author: ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2001, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accounting-garb/96646/4 "2001-12-03T17:28:25Z")

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“Arm bands” = sleeve garters.

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### Author: ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2001, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accounting-garb/96646/5 "2001-12-03T17:50:01Z")

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Those are cliches from the bad 'ol days, referring to anyone who worked with ink & paper a lot. Editors, accountants, bookies, and the like. The sleeve garters kept you cuffs out of the ink & smudging the page, and I believe the green celluloid visor was to reduce eye-strain, although I’m a little fuzzy on how that would work.