# British English question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177 "2007-01-24T00:23:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/1 "2007-01-24T00:23:31Z")
If a pullover sweater is a “jumper”, what’s a zip-up-the-front sweater called? What if it has a hood [like this](http://www.flcrooks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1521)? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/2 "2007-01-24T00:31:09Z")
A jumper is also called a pullover here. A similar garment that buttons or zips at the front is called a cardigan. If it’s made of sweatshirt material, it’s a tracksuit top, if it also has a hood, it’s a ‘hoody’(sp?). Knitted cardigans with hoods are just hooded cardigans, AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/3 "2007-01-24T00:47:31Z")
“Sweater”, “jumper” and “pullover” are pretty much synonymous in British English. The first two are more common, and in my experience “sweater” is more usual than “jumper”, although that could vary by region. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/4 "2007-01-24T01:58:26Z")
I’m English, and I hardly ever hear “sweater” except from Americans. I make a distinction between a jumper and a pullover, a jumper is a much thicker and warmer garment. A pullover frequently, but not always, has a V-neck. A pullover might be worn over a long-slleved shirt with a collar, but a jumper would be worn over a t-shirt. The term Jersey is also common. ---
**Author:** ![MrFloppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@MrFloppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFloppy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/5 "2007-01-24T02:17:57Z")
Ditto what Peter says. I hardly ever used ‘sweater’. A pullover is something a school aged child may wear (if they have a uniform). Good picture here: [http://www.unterseer.de/pro\_sho\_pu.htm](http://www.unterseer.de/pro_sho_pu.htm) A jumper would be thicker. Something my old Mum would knit and force me to wear 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/6 "2007-01-24T14:09:23Z")
Thanks! So the knit-of-wool zip up the front with a hood is simply a hooded cardigan? (WhyDad was being silly and “posh” last night and told the baby to get her “jumper” and I said I didn’t think that was right. True anglophiles must get these piddly details right, you know! 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/7 "2007-01-24T14:21:37Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Thanks! So the knit-of-wool zip up the front with a hood is simply a hooded cardigan? [/QUOTE] Pretty much, yes, although the term ‘cardigan’ is falling out of favour - I wouldn’t be surprised to see it labelled in a shop as ‘hooded zip-front top’ or ‘knitted hoodie’, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/8 "2007-01-24T14:26:58Z")
The cardigan itself (at least the buttoned, non-hoodie original) is falling out of favor, thanks to [grandpa](http://images.google.com/images?q=grandpa&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&start=20&sa=N&ndsp=20). You only have to get to page two of 175,000 Google Images hits before you start seeing cardigans. There are three on that page alone. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/9 "2007-01-24T14:35:40Z")
In the interests of science, I shall go over to M&S in a minute and see what the current retail terminology is. How’s that for SDMB service? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/10 "2007-01-24T18:03:07Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] In the interests of science, I shall go over to M&S in a minute and see what the current retail terminology is. How’s that for SDMB service? [/QUOTE] Fiver says this is an excuse to pick up a ready meal 😛 ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/11 "2007-01-24T19:11:59Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] In the interests of science, I shall go over to M&S in a minute and see what the current retail terminology is. How’s that for SDMB service? [/QUOTE] Tenner says he’s gone for a bottle of Chateau nuef Du Pape '57 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/12 "2007-01-24T20:50:21Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] Tenner says he’s gone for a bottle of Chateau nuef Du Pape '57 [/QUOTE] …and a ready meal? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/13 "2007-01-24T20:53:05Z")
If they’re a lighter fabric they’re often called “sweatshirts”, or, in the horrible cataloguese phrase, “sweats”. As in “Hooded Sweat, £24.99”. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/14 "2007-01-25T09:46:13Z")
I got the ready meal and the Chateauneuf Du Pape ('61 actually) but forgot to look at the jumpers. Will try again later when I get my edamame and noodle lunch. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/15 "2007-01-25T10:09:06Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] …and a ready meal? [/QUOTE] _Dervla Kirwan on_ It’s not just a ready meal _Dervla Kirwan off_ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/16 "2007-01-25T10:30:06Z")
[QUOTE=ScareyFaerie] _Dervla Kirwan on_ It’s not just a ready meal _Dervla Kirwan off_ [/QUOTE] There are not words for how much that advert annoys me. “These are not just potatoes, these are M&S pan-shaken potatoes with olive oil and rosemary”. So, actually, they _are_ just potatoes, shaken in a pan with some stuff. \ ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/17 "2007-01-25T12:06:30Z")
As a data point, in colloquial South African, a _ **sweater** _ is what you call a _t-shirt_. A _ **pullover jumper** _ is called a _jersey_. Either v-neck, crew-neck or polo, depending. A poloneck is a turtleneck to the Yanks. A polo shirt is a golf shirt here. I wouldn’t call it a cardigan if it didn’t have buttons. I’d call that a zip-up jersey or zip-up knitted top. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/18 "2007-01-25T15:34:48Z")
In America…[these](http://www.commonsensepatterns.com/images/csp/542CT%20Jumper.jpg) are jumpers. I have been boggled for ages as to why they were so popular in England. Now I know…they’re not! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/19 "2007-01-25T19:53:40Z")
‘Sweat top’ seems to be the preferred terminology on M&S’s website. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177/20 "2007-01-25T20:27:28Z")
[QUOTE=ScareyFaerie] _Dervla Kirwan on_ It’s not just a ready meal _Dervla Kirwan off_ [/QUOTE] Who is Dervla Kirwan and why does her name look better spelled backwards (Alvred Nawrik)? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-question/389177.md?page=2)