Almost but not quite “Rubbers.”
In the US nuclear industry Plastic Booties are worn by workers in contaminated areas. Tall enough to have the pant legs taped over the joint so that area is sealed until removal in the change area and discarded with contaminated waste.
(bolding mine) But what you describe is exactly what I would call galoshes. Does the word have different meanings in English and Swedish?
Floater: Galoshes would generally come up to mid-calf, not stop below the ankle, as described by Poly. (Though, to be fair, usage was fairly sloppy, in my experience–“rubbers” often meant ANY kind of overshoe or galoshes, or sometimes even Wellington-type boots)
I have different memories. There were rubbers, to protect your shoes from wetness and mud, and boots, used in deep snow. The terms were never switched and one was never used to cover both.
This was upstate New York. Regional variation makes a huge difference, I now know.
I graduated from high school in 1978, and I can assure you that “rubber” was THE common word to refer to a condom. The word “condom” sounded clinical, like “penis” or “vagina.” Those words might be used in a health education class, but never in casual conversation.
I’m ten years ahead of you, and it was likewise in the 60’s.
I had a sex ed class in the autumn of 1983 in which the teacher was careful to emphasize that when he said “condoms”, he meant rubbers. He said it had happened several times before that after discussing everything teenagers needed to know about condoms, someone had asked, “So what about rubbers?” This was before AIDS was a household word, though just barely.
As for rubbers as in overshoes, I remember my father wore them in rainy weather when I was a little girl. He stopped wearing them at just about the same time the word “rubbers” started being embarrassing for me to say…
I grew up in Oklahoma, and the same distinction was made. My wife, who grew up in New Jersey, concurs. “Rubbers” was used exclusively for the low shoe covers, not for any sort of boot.
I just thought of a great marketing aspect for the rebellious Hot Topic teen. Condoms for your shoes!
Back at summer camp in '96, I remember we were all in our cabin writing letters. Julie, our British counselor turned to our other counselor and asked " Hey, do you have a rubber?" There was a pause until my friend Keri asked " Julie why did you ask Marissia for a condom?"
At least as early as the 1950s in parts of the South, rubbers referred to both galoshes and to condoms.
In my parts galoshes are slip-over-shoe style and can be long or short. They could be called “rubbers” and I doubt anyone would argue. “Foot condoms” might also catch on in more playful circles.
That said, “rubbers” might also refer to rubber boots, aka gumboots. Gumboots can be fancy for the ladies or practical to work in.
Searching images for ‘rubbers’ brings up (what I’d call) galoshes.
I actually think that ‘condoms’ has become so standardized and so ‘less dirty’ since the AIDS scare hit the scene in the early 80’s that I am starting to hear ‘rubbers’ refer to slip on protection for your shoes more often than I hear a condom called a rubber. Growing up, hearing “rubbers” refer to condoms was normal/common, but we knew our parents used the word differently.
Now, I think people are using “condom” ubiquitously… allowing “rubbers” to regain the older usage.
(NE USA)
In my house growing up (80s), “rubbers” meant rubber boots and “toe rubbers” mean the slip-on overshoes.
From Chicago in the 50’s and 60’s: Boots came in many different types, but they all went up to mid-calf. They were often called overshoes because of the (duh) fact that they slipped on over your shoes, not as separate footwear, as is more common today. However, those boots that had those cool buckles on them - those were always called galoshes. Rubbers were the little jobbies that slipped on over your shoes and just covered them. When I sold shoes, the big brand name for those things was Totes, and no one came into the store asking for rubbers. Just Totes.
Rubbers were prophylactics, and vice versa, when I was a youngster. I didn’t hear the word condom until maybe the 80’s, and I’m guessing that if you said “rubbers” to a kid today, they’d have no clue what that meant. In fact, when I taught sex ed, many students had never heard that term.
My experience in 1960’s Canada -
Galoshes were those big boots to mid calf, loose enough that you wore your street shoes inside; buckle on the side. For going somewhere like to school, where you needed your shoes once you got tehre.
Rubbers were slip-ons that fit snugly over good leather shoes to keep them dry. slightly lower than the shoes themselves, below the ankle.
Rubber Boots or Wellingtons (the more British term) were those black rubber/canvas boots with red soles and tops that you put your sock-covered feet into; more for deep mud, playing in the rain or going to the store for a quick errand, etc. If you didn’t need shoes where you were going, or carried your shoes there.
A MacIntosh - I rarely heard that term used for raincoats, except in British literature. But, eveyone had those bright yellow rain coat and matching hat…
Rubber, of course, was also a euphism for condom (also “safe”) from whenever I realized what they were, which would be about 1970 or so. Trying to remember what they called condoms in “Summer of 42”?
In my youth rubbers differed from boots in as much as they only covered the shoe. Boots came up at least to the ankle.
