# For some odd reason, whenever I hear the word "sneaker" I crack up **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 5, 2002, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066 "2002-04-05T20:56:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yo\_La\_Tengo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/41988e/32.png) [@Yo\_La\_Tengo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yo_La_Tengo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/1 "2002-04-05T20:56:47Z")
It just sounds cheesy. I mean, come on! Sneakers? Shouldn’t it mean “one that sneaks (as in around the house)” instead of “something you wear on your foot?” Call 'em shoes, people… Shoes… Sounds sooo much nicer. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/2 "2002-04-05T21:02:26Z")
Just for the anal response: They’re called sneakers because unlike the leather shoes they were supposed to replace, they don’t squeak 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/3 "2002-04-05T21:04:59Z")
I feel the same way about the word **finger**. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/4 "2002-04-05T21:19:32Z")
Thank you SO much…I can’t wait to get home tonight to show this to the old ball & chain. (note to self: delete that b & c comment before posting) Anyhoo, she’s called 'em “sneakers” ever since I’ve known her, and it drives me batty. (no offense Jack) Their SHOES, dammit, SHOES!!! > [@](#): > > They’re called sneakers because unlike the leather shoes they were supposed to replace, they don’t squeak My bare feet don’t squeak either…I don’t call them “Ned” TGIF…I’m going home. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/5 "2002-04-05T22:36:03Z")
When I was a kid\* I called them “tennys”. This is what I thought they were called: “tenny shoes”. [sub] ha! still call them that to make Mr Baboon laugh! ---
**Author:** ![Ferggie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@Ferggie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferggie)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/6 "2002-04-06T05:49:35Z")
I called 'em tennies growing up, 'cause my mom calls 'em tennies. I knew, though, that it was a nickname for tennis shoes. The British call 'em trainers, I b’lieve. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/7 "2002-04-06T14:16:20Z")
But sneakers aren’t **just** shoes…they are not loafers, or pumps, or slides, or sandals, or even boots. So calling them shoes won’t help at all when I ask my kids to bring me my shoes from over by the door. Since tennis shoes are easier to sneak around in…they don’t clump like hard-soled shoes- I think it’s very descriptive. The ex used to call them tennie-grippers…I think it was a regional thing. Now pumps…that one baffles me. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/8 "2002-04-06T14:49:19Z")
_{ . . . tappity tappity tappity in taps Mufffin from stage left . . .}_ Jeepers, Creepers, Where’d you get those peepers? Jeepers, Creepers, Where’s you get those eyes? _{ . . . tappity tappity tappity off taps Mufffin past stage right . . .}_ ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/9 "2002-04-07T01:45:35Z")
Me and a friend were out walking in a forest. I was wearing new shoes and I got them muddy. I said “damn… wrecked them”. In my Lancashire accent ‘wrecked them’ sounds **exactly** like ‘Rectum’ (bum,arse,ass,behind). The apparent completely and utterly random and out-of-context utterance of the word rectum in the middle of a forest triggered uncontrollable hysterics in both of us. I had never laughed so hard in my life before! Americans - if you don’t find this remotely funny. I can’t explain it to you. it’s a British kind of humour quirk (or maybe it’s just me) ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/10 "2002-04-08T09:47:08Z")
You damn near killed 'im! ---
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/11 "2002-04-08T13:43:13Z")
I, too, HATE the word _sneakers_. It just…sounds…so…I dunno-Brady Bunch or something. Just cheesy. Cant stand it. I call them tennis shoes, even though there are obvious problems with that name. My Mom used to call them “tennie-pumps.” Any idea where that came from? Ugh. _sneakers_. Yuck. (Don’t EVEN get me started on the word _moist_. ) ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-some-odd-reason-whenever-i-hear-the-word-sneaker-i-crack-up/102066/12 "2002-04-08T18:29:05Z")
[Grandpa Simpson]On one of my frequent trips to the ground I noticed Malloy was wearing sneakers… for _sneaking_[/GS] When I grew up every male wore boots and we always called sneakers “tenny lamas.” …which only makes sense if you are familiar with Tony Lama cowboy boots.