# What's the real name for what are known as "wife-beaters"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 21, 2005, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385 "2005-04-21T08:05:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/1 "2005-04-21T08:05:25Z")
So, the colloquial name for these garments seems to have elevated to “not-so-colloquial” in many circles, but I won’t have any of it; the term disgusts me. I have a need to refer to these articles of clothing on a regular basis, given the frequency with which these are worn, so I was wondering what is the most common legitimate term for these articles, in the U.S.? ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/2 "2005-04-21T08:11:26Z")
Tank tops. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/3 "2005-04-21T08:25:35Z")
I for one have no idea at all what the OOP is asking about and hope someone can educate me. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/4 "2005-04-21T08:38:51Z")
Sleeveless undershirts. I’ve heard them just called “beaters,” too. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/5 "2005-04-21T09:24:08Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > I for one have no idea at all what the OOP is asking about and hope someone can educate me. Those sleeveless undershirts that are made of ribbed cotton, and were once universally white. Since a few years ago, they’ve become something of a fashion item among some individuals (the present proportion of which, I’m sure, being a relatively-docile bunch 🙂 ) with the introduction of colors. I guess the term “wife-beater” came about when more-than-a-few proponents of spousal abuse were spied wearing this particular garment when engaged in such? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/6 "2005-04-21T09:35:10Z")
Yup, they were formally known as tank tops, but tank tops have become a separate fashion item, made from different colors and the standard T-shirt knit weave. The “wife beater” tank top is a standard white cotton ribbed undershirt you often see with holes due to age, and beer stains due to the men who sit around the house wearing them, slugging bear, beating their wives and frequently appearing on episodes of Cops. Like tighty-whities, they can look pretty hot on the right person, but on most people they look slovenly. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/7 "2005-04-21T10:52:42Z")
My mom always called them singlets. Is this strange? ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/8 "2005-04-21T11:45:47Z")
> [@Stark Raven Mad](#): > > My mom always called them singlets. Is this strange? That’s what we called them too. May be an Aussie language thing? Never heard them called that here in the states. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Roscoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@Captain\_Roscoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Roscoe)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/9 "2005-04-21T12:03:37Z")
Over here in the UK they are tank tops, or if you’re of a slightly, umm, more mature generation, then they are singlets. I’ve never heard them being called wife-beaters here. Maybe I’m hopelessly out of touch. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/10 "2005-04-21T12:05:49Z")
I’ve always called them undershirts, and so did everyone else I know. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/11 "2005-04-21T12:09:27Z")
“sleeveless undershirt” or “tank top undershirt”. Both a little clunky. “Tank top” can really refer to any sleeveless shirt so it’s not very precise. “Wife beater” works for me. I wear them, too. A lot. I love them. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/12 "2005-04-21T12:12:59Z")
The only place I’ve seen ‘undershirt’ is a Marks and Spencers. > [@Idlewild](#): > > That’s what we called them too. May be an Aussie language thing? Never heard them called that here in the states. Nah, my mom was educated in Indonesia, and I’m from Hong Kong. According to an informal class survey, they’re called wifebeaters here in Sydney. Tank tops are what the girls wear. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/13 "2005-04-21T12:15:41Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > The “wife beater” tank top is a standard white cotton ribbed undershirt you often see with holes due to age, and beer stains due to the men who sit around the house wearing them, **slugging bear** , beating their wives and frequently appearing on episodes of Cops. You have to be a tough motherfucker to slug bears. Men who beat their wives aren’t tough. Also: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/14 "2005-04-21T12:15:52Z")
Well, in Singapore, those are singlets as well. Real helpful in a warm climate, I must say. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/15 "2005-04-21T12:17:16Z")
My dad wore them almost exclusively and in our house, they were undershirts. I seem to recall the package identifying them as “A” shirts, though. Tank tops were a girls garment, not an undershirt. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/16 "2005-04-21T12:35:13Z")
The only thing I’ve ever heard called a _singlet_ was the one piece suit we wore as wrestlers, like a leotard type thing. So, singlet probably isn’t going to stick in the US, though it’s not a very common word, so maybe the wife-beater could adopt it. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/17 "2005-04-21T12:56:17Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > You have to be a tough motherfucker to slug bears. Men who beat their wives aren’t tough. > > Also: 😃 Hey, watch it with the bear abuse! They’re advertised around here as “Ribbed Cotton Ts,” but called wife beaters or beaters. On the right type of man they are sexy as hell. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/18 "2005-04-21T13:07:35Z")
What’s the difference between a wifebeater and an A-shirt? ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/19 "2005-04-21T13:10:09Z")
Sadly, the only other name _I_ know for these is just about as unpleasant as “wife-beater” - we called 'em Dago Tees back in the day. They are called “A” shirts on the package, but I don’t know of anyone who calls them that. Incidentally, the difference between these and tank tops is that tank tops, in the back, have straight-cut armholes. Wife-beaters are shaped in the back, similar to racer-back bathing suits and sports bras. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385/20 "2005-04-21T13:10:18Z")
I call them “child-molesters”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-real-name-for-what-are-known-as-wife-beaters/300385.md?page=2)