# The knitted winter hat - what do YOU call it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2019, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901 "2019-01-16T22:32:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/21 "2019-01-17T00:07:03Z")
Toboggan in much of Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/22 "2019-01-17T00:08:37Z")
tuque ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/23 "2019-01-17T00:15:58Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Toque Le mot juste. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/24 "2019-01-17T00:40:38Z")
With pompom it’s a toboggan, a childs hat. W/O pompom it’s a watch cap. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/25 "2019-01-17T00:40:44Z")
When I was growing up in Wisconsin, they were usually called “stocking caps.” Now I just call them “knit hats” or “winter hats.” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/26 "2019-01-17T01:05:04Z")
Just a “winter hat” for me, both here in Florida and in Western New York when I was growing up. However, sometimes I call them a “toque” because it is less unambiguous in that context. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/27 "2019-01-17T01:18:03Z")
Oh knit cap in the army, as a watch cap was solid fleece. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/28 "2019-01-17T01:22:10Z")
If Mike Nesmith was wearing it, I’d call it a “Wool Hat” (but I wouldn’t say it to his face 😃 ) Otherwise, I call them watch caps. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/29 "2019-01-17T01:28:51Z")
If you want a fighting chance of finding a pattern on Ravelry you’ll have your best shot if you search for a “beanie.” That’s what all the hipster douches around here call them and so do the non-hipster non-douches who’re just regular old redneck types who dislike cold ears in winter. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/30 "2019-01-17T02:08:55Z")
A hat. “One of those knitted winter hats, you know, with the little pompoms?” if I need to be specific, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/31 "2019-01-17T02:16:51Z")
Knit cap or stocking cap. My mom used to call them an “Uncle Leo hat”. Not sure where that term came from. She definitely didn’t have an Uncle Leo. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/32 "2019-01-17T02:32:05Z")
Watch cap. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/33 "2019-01-17T02:49:50Z")
I call it “the thing that makes your noggin looks like a glans.” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/34 "2019-01-17T02:52:18Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Toque. But I grew up in New Hampshire in an area heavily influenced by French Canadians. Hmm. In the south part of the state I have literally never heard anyone call it that. I can imagine towns where they would, though. I too call it a “hat” but if I were pressed I would call mine a beanie. It couldn’t have a pompom though. That’s a ski cap. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/35 "2019-01-17T02:56:50Z")
Hatty McHatterson ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/36 "2019-01-17T03:07:54Z")
I’d call it a ski cap or more simply a winter hat. I’m familiar with the word “toque” through my Canadian relatives, but wouldn’t call a winter hat that; to me a toque is the hat shown in this picture (of a sign near me): [https://www.pinterest.com/pin/389350330262297564/](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/389350330262297564/). A beanie has a propellor, a toboggan is a sled, and “stocking cap” is more of a Santa-style hat. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/37 "2019-01-17T03:10:06Z")
It’s a toque but that word scares and confuses too many Americans so beanie is quickly supplanting it as the norm. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/38 "2019-01-17T03:12:23Z")
Every so often something like this comes along and makes me wonder what the fuck is wrong with people nowadays. A “beanie” is—and I quote [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beanie_(seamed_cap))—“a head-hugging brimless cap, with or without a visor, made from triangular panels of material joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides. Commonly made of cloth or felt material, beanies may also be made from leather or silk.” Oh, but then it goes on to say “In some U.S. regions and parts of Canada the term ‘beanie’ refers to a knitted cap (often woollen), alternately called a 'stocking cap or ‘toque.’” The _fuck_? So then I image-google “beanie,” and all I get are these stocking caps. WTF? Has the internet been taken over by people from “some U.S. regions and parts of Canada”? Where did all the regular people go? Regular people—you know: people who know what beanies are. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/39 "2019-01-17T03:15:39Z")
Thirding the Aussie beanie. In fact they are compulsory head-gear when [attending a footy game.](https://www.aflfootyshop.com.au/clothing/beanies) ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901/40 "2019-01-17T03:22:51Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Every so often something like this comes along and makes me wonder what the fuck is wrong with people nowadays. > > A “beanie” is—and I quote [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beanie_(seamed_cap))—“a head-hugging brimless cap, with or without a visor, made from triangular panels of material joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides. Commonly made of cloth or felt material, beanies may also be made from leather or silk.” > > Oh, but then it goes on to say “In some U.S. regions and parts of Canada the term ‘beanie’ refers to a knitted cap (often woollen), alternately called a 'stocking cap or ‘toque.’” > > The _fuck_? > > So then I image-google “beanie,” and all I get are these stocking caps. WTF? Has the internet been taken over by people from “some U.S. regions and parts of Canada”? Where did all the regular people go? Regular people—you know: people who know what beanies are. It is peculiar, is it not? Clearly they are sadly unfamiliar with _Calvin and Hobbes_, which is enough to make anybody cry: [https://chutzpah.typepad.com/slow\_movement/2010/04/calvin-and-hobbes-beanie.html](https://chutzpah.typepad.com/slow_movement/2010/04/calvin-and-hobbes-beanie.html) Now THAT’s a beanie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-knitted-winter-hat-what-do-you-call-it/827901.md?page=3)