# Why is a peacoat called a peacoat?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-peacoat-called-a-peacoat/42721>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 26, 2000, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-peacoat-called-a-peacoat/42721 "2000-11-26T03:21:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-peacoat-called-a-peacoat/42721/1 "2000-11-26T03:21:47Z")

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I did a search in GQ as I figured this one would’ve come up before but didn’t find anything. I was in an Army surplus store today and noticed the peacoats. I had one many years ago, but never heard how they got the name.

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**Author:** ![Ankh\_Too](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Ankh\_Too](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ankh_Too)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-peacoat-called-a-peacoat/42721/2 "2000-11-26T03:27:56Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _from the [Navy Uniform History and Trivia](http://www.navres.navy.mil/navresfor/n4/HistoryTrivia.htm) webpage_  
> \*\*Peacoat - a cold wether version of the first uniform authorized – the Pea-Jacket. A warm, heavy coat made from “Pee” cloth or “Pilot” cloth, a course stout kind of twilled blue cloth with a nap on one side.

\*\*

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-peacoat-called-a-peacoat/42721/3 "2000-11-26T03:54:35Z")

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It definitely pre-dates our Navy coming up with the term. In the _American Weekly Mercury_ in 1721; “Cloathed with a double-breasted Pee-Jacket.” Probably from the Dutch, wouldn’t you know it 🙂 _pij-jakker_.

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-peacoat-called-a-peacoat/42721/4 "2000-11-26T15:29:32Z")

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Link to comments by Evan Morris, at his website The Word Detective ([www.word-detective.com](http://www.word-detective.com)): [Peacoat](http://www.word-detective.com/041899.html#peacoat)

He traces the “pea” back to “pee”, a rough cloth in England.

There ain’t much better than the Word Detective when it comes to tracking down word origins, IMHO.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-peacoat-called-a-peacoat/42721/5 "2000-11-26T15:37:33Z")

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Nothing to contribute, except that I like my peacoat! (Too bad it’s not cold enough down here so I can wear my Russian Navy ushanka with it!)