# jumper, sweater, sweatshirt - AmE, BrE, AuE,...



## @Demetrius

Hello,

I've been wondering about this for a while now and never quite got my head around it. What do you call each of these pieces of clothing in your version of English? (I'm interested in as many opinions as possible: American English, British English, Australian English, etc.) *:*

< Broken 'Spoiler' button removed. See image linked below. Cagey, moderator > ​
From what I've gathered over the years, no. *1* is a jumper in British / Australian / NZ English, and a sweater in North American English (while the word "jumper" refers to a pinafore dress in American English). No. 2 would be a sweatshirt in all version of English, and no. 3 a sweater, just like American no. 1 (or a "cardigan", of course, if you want to get specific -- I don't think you would say "It's a little brisk. I'll get a _cardigan._" in casual conversation, though). Is that correct?

I've checked previous threads about it, but it's still a little blurry (Panjandrum's post does help a lot, though).

Thanks!


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## Dretagoto

For me (BrE), then it's definitely 1 = jumper, 2 = sweater/jumper, 3 = cardigan (except cardigan has always sounded to me like something very old people wear, and I've tried to never use the word , but I have no good alternative).


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## Juhasz

I agree nearly every point.  I wouldn't say "It's a little brisk. I'll get a _cardigan_," but only because that level of specificity doesn't belong in such a phrase.  Likewise, I probably wouldn't say, "It's a little brisk.  I'll get a brown, reindeer sweater."

There are, however, plenty of situations in which "cardigan" would be the best choice: "Did you wash my cardigan?" "I just bought a cardigan at the used clothing store." "Only old people wear cardigans" (and here, you clearly couldn't say, "Only old people wear sweaters").


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## Hildy1

I think some British people might say "I'll get a cardi."


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## @Demetrius

Interesting! I'm asking because a couple days ago I saw the movie _Rushmore -- _which is American --, but one of the character (played by Olivia Williams) is English and says "I'll get a sweater", and in the next shot she has a cardigan on. Then I thought, if _that _is what an English person calls a _sweater_, then what do the Americans call it? Of course, I have to take into account the fact that the movie was written by Americans, and the English actress probably didn't know precisely what she was going to be wearing in the next shot, so she had no reason to object to the word "sweater".


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## Sparky Malarky

Well, I'll leave the BE explanations to the Brits, but in AE, 1 and 3 are both *sweaters.  *3, specifically, is a cardigan sweater, which may be referred to as a cardigan.  I don't know anyone who'd say "I'm going to put on a cardigan," but in a salesperson might say "cardigans are 40% off."  

Number 2 may or may not be a sweatshirt.  It's hard to tell from the photo.  It is cut like a sweatshirt, but it looks like it might be knitted.  If knitted, it's a sweater.  If made from fleece fabric, it's a sweatshirt.


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## Myridon

Sparky Malarky said:


> If knitted, it's a sweater.  If made from fleece fabric, it's a sweatshirt.


... and if it's jersey knit, it's a long-sleeved t-shirt.


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## djmc

A jumper or a sweater are normally knitted. A sweatshirt is normally made of heavy cotton with a fleecy backing. A cardigan would usually be knitted but has buttons down the front. All this is BE. In any case if the fabric is synthetic fleece' material I would say a fleece.


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## Piatkow

For 1 I would use "jumper", "pullover" and "sweater" indiscriminately. A British person would usuunderstand "sweater" to being a pullover with a heavy weight knit.

2. I don't know, it depends on the fabric

3. Definitely a cardigan. Long regarded as the preserve of old people they are now popular with hipsters.


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## Trochfa

For me in BrE:
1) Jumper. (However, you do hear "pullover" or "sweater", but I don't naturally use them. I actually disagree with Panjandrum's post, in that to my mind a jumper is always knitted. This may be a regional difference. However, in BrE, I think you could call 1) a jumper, sweater or pullover and most people would know exactly what you mean, and not think it odd.)

2) Sweatshirt (or even just "a top"!)

3) Cardi[gan]



Hildy1 said:


> I think some British people might say "I'll get a cardi."


 
I can easily imagine someone saying "It's a bit cold outside. Hang on, I'll just get my cardi".

Instead of brisk, in BrE, you might hear "It's a bit nippy outside....."

Or they may say, often humorously "It's a bit fresh outside......", especially if there is a cold wind blowing. (Or even a snowstorm, if they are a bit of a card! )

Certain types of cardigans were actually trendy in the 1980's. Apparently, (some) '80's fashions are now being recycled.


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## @Demetrius

Thank you, everyone! I'm glad I asked, you've been very helpful. From what I understand, calling a cardigan a "sweater" is more of a American thing. Good to know! I'd heard an Australian girl use the word "cardi" before, but I'd thought it was one of those typical two-syllable Australian-only words (like _ambo, servo, brickie_, etc.).

I definitely meant the first one to look knitted and the second one to look like a basic crew neck cotton sweatshirt. It would've been clearer if No. 1 had had a turtleneck and No. 2 a hood.


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## Dretagoto

[USER=62847]@demetrius[/USER] said:


> It would've been clearer if No. 1 had had a turtleneck and No. 2 a hood.



But then we'd probably all have called no. 2 a hoodie, and you'd be introducing yet another word


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## Trochfa

[USER=62847]@demetrius[/USER] said:


> and No. 2 a hood.



But then you would have got the description as "a hoodie"! 

[Cross-posted]


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## @Demetrius

Dretagoto said:


> But then we'd probably all have called no. 2 a hoodie, and you'd be introducing yet another word


Oh, I thought a hoodie was strictly a zip-up jacket! (unlike what I would've called a "hooded sweatshirt"). Good thing you mention it.


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## elroy

Sweatshirts are often referred to as sweaters in American English.  I would use:

1. sweater
2. sweatshirt or sweater 
3. cardigan


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## You little ripper!

1. Jumper or pullover
2. Long-sleeved T-shirt
3. Cardi(gan)


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## Delvo

First picture: sweater
Second picture: sweatshirt

I've lived in three different parts of the USA a bit over a thousand miles apart from each other and never heard anybody say the word "cardigan". Nor have I ever seen that thing in the third picture. So I guess they could fit together... someplace where both the thing and the word actually existed...


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## JulianStuart

Delvo said:


> First picture: sweater
> Second picture: sweatshirt
> 
> I've lived in three different parts of the USA a bit over a thousand miles apart from each other and never heard anybody say the word "cardigan". Nor have I ever seen that thing in the third picture. So I guess they could fit together... someplace where both the thing and the word actually existed...


Not a fan of Mr Rogers?  His cardigans were mainly the zip type - I always thought they had to have buttons to qualify 
The Ridiculously Sweet Story Behind Mister Rogers' Cardigans | HuffPost


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## PaulQ

Delvo said:


> Nor have I ever seen that thing in the third picture.


Colour me amazed!

What about this:


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## @Demetrius

It's probably a little more common on women nowadays. What would you call this, Delvo? *:*


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## natkretep

A cardigan for me. Just to add that for the clipped version, I write *cardie* with an <e>. Dictionaries also allow *cardy*_._


> *cardie*
> (also *cardi*) (_British _*cardy*)


cardie - definition of cardie in English | Oxford Dictionaries


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## Hildy1

Aren't sweatshirts normally woven? 

Cardigans may be associated with old people, but in the U.S. at least, they were given a boost by Michelle Obama.
Mrs. Obama Saves The Cardigan: 'The Obama Effect' In Fashion
With the regime change since then, who knows what will become fashionable...


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## RM1(SS)

You: Is #3 a cardigan?
RM1: Yes.

You: What is #3?
RM1: A sweater.


Pure coincidence, of course, that the item just before #3 has raglan sleeves....


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## Batilda

@Demetrius said:


> Hello,
> 
> I've been wondering about this for a while now and never quite got my head around it. What do you call each of these pieces of clothing in your version of English? (I'm interested in as many opinions as possible: American English, British English, Australian English, etc.) *:*
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Click to see the picture
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From what I've gathered over the years, no. *1* is a _jumper _in British / Australian / NZ English, and a _sweater _in North American English (while the word "jumper" refers to a pinafore dress in American English). No. *2* would be a _sweatshirt _in all version of English, and no. *3* a _sweater_, just like American no. 1 (or a "cardigan", of course, if you want to get specific -- I don't think you would say "It's a little brisk. I'll get a _cardigan._" in casual conversation, though). Is that correct?
> 
> I've checked previous threads about it, but it's still a little blurry (Panjandrum's post does help a lot, though).
> 
> Thanks!



A little late, but of the replies I read no one mentioned 'jersey'. In NZ we say jersey for a jumper, never sweater. Use of 'jumper' is creeping in, though. In Australia a jersey is primarily a sports top, and they call their casual outer warm layer a jumper. And I'd definitely say 'It's a little brisk. I'll get a cardi." And I'm not an old person.


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## zaffy

This is a "sweatshirt" in AE, isn't it? If it had no hood, it would still be "sweatshirt", wouldn't it? How about BE? A "hoodie"? And what if it had no hood?


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## Uncle Jack

zaffy said:


> How about BE? A "hoodie"? And what if it had no hood?


A hoodie or hooded top. 

If it had no hood, it looks too heavy for a sweatshirt, so perhaps I'd call it a fleece. If not, a top.


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## elroy

zaffy said:


> This is a "sweatshirt" in AE, isn't it?


A sweatshirt or a hoodie.



zaffy said:


> If it had no hood, it would still be "sweatshirt", wouldn't it?


Yes.


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## zaffy

Uncle Jack said:


> it looks too heavy for a sweatshirt, so perhaps I'd call it a fleece. If not, a top.



How about this sweatshirt in BE?


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## Wordy McWordface

zaffy said:


> How about this sweatshirt in BE?
> 
> View attachment 71715


It's a sweatshirt.

For it to be a fleece, it would have to be, well, fleecier...


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## zaffy

And could I call a hoodie a hooded sweatshirt?


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## elroy

Why would you?  That’s too many syllables.


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## zaffy

elroy said:


> Why would you? That’s too many syllables.



How about calling a hoodie a hooded top?


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## zaffy

Wordy McWordface said:


> It's a sweatshirt.


And could I call the thing in #25 a jumper? What do you imagine hearing it?


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## Wordy McWordface

Not really. A jumper is knitted/woolly, while a sweatshirt is woven.


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## Roxxxannne

zaffy said:


> And could I call a hoodie a hooded sweatshirt?


You could have called it that in 1980 or so.  These days hooded sweatshirts are hoodies.
Also, to add to the cardigan discussion of years gone by, young women these days wear fashionably styled sweaters that are open in the front like cardigans.  Such a sweater is called a cardi.


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## Myridon

Roxxxannne said:


> You could have called it that in 1980 or so.  These days hooded sweatshirts are hoodies.


I can remember having hooded sweatshirts in the 70s and 80s (sometimes with matching sweatpants).  The term "hoodie" came about later when they started making hooded long-sleeve t-shirts.  I still reserve "hoodie" for the t-shirt fabric ones, not the sweatshirts.


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## zaffy

Wordy McWordface said:


> A jumper is knitted/woolly,


I thought knitted/wooly tops were called sweaters. What are these? Aren't they sweaters?


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## Myridon

zaffy said:


> I thought knitted/wooly tops were called sweaters. What are these? Aren't they sweaters?


Have you read post #1?  In American English, they are.  In British English, they are not.


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## zaffy

Myridon said:


> Have you read post #1?  In American English, they are. In British English, they are not.


Does AE use 'jumper" to refer to any clothing?


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## kentix

Myridon said:


> I still reserve "hoodie" for the t-shirt fabric ones, not the sweatshirts.


Me, too. The sweatshirt with a hood I bought in 1982 is still a hooded sweatshirt.


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## anthox

zaffy said:


> Does AE use 'jumper" to refer to any clothing?


I have heard the term "jumper", but I will bashfully admit that I'm not sure what it refers to. I feel like it is a piece of women's clothing though, not a sweater, something like a pair of pants with straps, similar to overalls maybe?


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## kentix

A jumper is a type of dress in the U.S. I think most often it's worn by little girls.








I'm no fashion expert, but I think it's always worn with some kind of shirt/top underneath.


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## zaffy

And does BE use 'sweater' to refer to any piece of clothing?


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## Uncle Jack

zaffy said:


> And does BE use 'sweater' to refer to any piece of clothing?


Yes, as you can see from most of the BrE speakers in this thread. Of course we only need one word, so having three to choose from (jumper, sweater, pullover) means that most people favour one over the others, and I am pretty sure that "pullover" is now out of the race, but "sweater" is still common enough, even if it lags far behind "jumper".

I am sure that some people distinguish between jumper, sweater and pullover, but I don't*. They are all knitted and none of them have buttons or zips. Unlike Piatkow in post #9, a sweater for me does not need to be heavyweight.

* Actually, this isn't quite true. I might call a knitted tank top (= a sleeveless jumper) a pullover. However, I really cannot think when I would ever want to talk about such a thing.


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## kentix

And I would say that a pullover could be a sweater but could be something else.


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## Myridon

In American English, you can have a sweater with buttons (like a cardigan) or a zipper which would not be a pullover.


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## Roxxxannne

kentix said:


> A jumper is a type of dress in the U.S. I think most often it's worn by little girls.
> 
> I'm no fashion expert, but I think it's always worn with some kind of shirt/top underneath.


Yes, they are worn with some kind of top underneath like a turtleneck sweater, a long-sleeved jersey-knit thin pullover (like a turtleneck but no turtle-type neck.
Fashionable young women (older than little girls) wore them ca. 1960-70 (I had a lovely dark green wool jumper that I wore with a black turtleneck sweater) and unfashionable older women wore them more recently.  It's possible that they still exist for adults -- I am sure pregnant women wear jumpers --and I expect little girls still wear them also.


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## RM1(SS)

zaffy said:


> And could I call a hoodie a hooded sweatshirt?


I would.


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## RM1(SS)

Roxxxannne said:


> I am sure pregnant women wear jumpers


My wife did, back in the '90s.

After 20+ years in the Navy, this is what I think of when I hear "jumper":


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## natkretep

kentix said:


> A jumper is a type of dress in the U.S. I think most often it's worn by little girls.
> 
> I'm no fashion expert, but I think it's always worn with some kind of shirt/top underneath.


And of course in BrE this is a pinafore or a pinny. In this part of the world, it's associated with a girl's school uniform.


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## Wordy McWordface

natkretep said:


> And of course in BrE this is a pinafore or a pinny.


Is it? I have always heard, and always used, "pinafore" and "pinny" as synonyms for "apron". Mum would tie on her pinny before cooking.

For me, the garment in #42 is a pinafore dress. Girls here also wore pinafore dresses as school uniform until the 1960s or so, and little girls sometimes still do.


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## natkretep

Yes, of course. Only these parts, 'dress' is omitted.


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## zaffy

Uncle Jack said:


> we only need one word, so having three to choose from (jumper, sweater, pullover) means that most people favour one over the others,





kentix said:


> And I would say that a pullover could be a sweater but could be something else.


What does AE speaker imagine hearing "pullover"? @elroy @Roxxxannne @kentix


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## Myridon

zaffy said:


> What does AE speaker imagine hearing "pullover"? @elroy @Roxxxannne @kentix


For me, in the context of clothing, it would be an adjective (not a noun) describing any piece of clothing that you pull over your head.  A t-shirt is a pullover shirt, not a button-up shirt.


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## zaffy

@Pedro y La Torre @Tegs

Does IE use American sweater or Brtish jumper/pullover? Or is it fine with all of them?


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## Pedro y La Torre

Jumper or pullover (pullover is rare). Sweatshirt is also used. As is hoodie. Other people I know do say sweater (I don't though).


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## Tegs

Jumper. Hoodie if it has a hood attached. I don't know any Irish people who say sweatshirt or sweater.


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## Roxxxannne

A pullover (noun) to me is a sweater (BrE jumper) that you put on by pulling it down over your head.
A cardigan, on the other hand, is a sweater that has buttons down the front.  You slip your arms into the sleeves as though it were a jacket.


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## Pedro y La Torre

Tegs said:


> Jumper. Hoodie if it has a hood attached. I don't know any Irish people who say sweatshirt or sweater.


Good old elverys.ie is here to help. There are sweatshirts galore. 

More seriously, I don't _hear_ sweatshirt a lot but I do see it written in most (southern) Irish clothing stores and online.


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## Pedro y La Torre

Roxxxannne said:


> A pullover (noun) to me is a sweater (BrE jumper) that you put on by pulling it down over your head.
> A cardigan, on the other hand, is a sweater that has buttons down the front.  You slip your arms into the sleeves as though it were a jacket.


A cardigan isn't a sweater/jumper where I'm from. My grandmother used to knit cardigans so the difference was drilled into me from a young age. Or perhaps I've just been wrong all this time? 🥺


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## Roxxxannne

Pedro y La Torre said:


> A cardigan isn't a sweater/jumper where I'm from. My grandmother used to knit cardigans so the difference was drilled into me from a young age. Or perhaps I've just been wrong all this time? 🥺


What did your grandmother's cardigans look like?  
This is a cardigan
and this is another cardigan.
They're cardigan sweaters as distinct from pullover sweaters.


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## dl77

If it hasn't come up before, should also mention "Where's me Jumper?", the 1990's Irish hit by the Cork group Sultans of Ping FC.

Lyrics include "It's alright to say things can only get better. You haven't lost your brand new sweater".


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## Wordy McWordface

Roxxxannne said:


> What did your grandmother's cardigans look like?
> This is a cardigan
> and this is another cardigan.


Yes. Those are definitely both cardigans. We're all on the same page there. The difference is that, over here, a cardigan is simply a cardigan  - it isn't a sweater (or even a type of sweater).

We have the same garments and make exactly the same distinction. The ones with buttons up the front, which you put on arms first, are cardigans. The ones that you pull on over your head are jumpers/pullovers/sweaters.

But the Venn diagram circle where 'cardigan' lies is not within the 'sweater' circle. It's outside it.


Roxxxannne said:


> They're cardigan sweaters as distinct from pullover sweaters.


Not over here.

We don't use those double terms. For us, it's either a cardigan or a sweater (not both).  "Cardigan sweater" sounds like a contradiction in terms, while "pullover sweater" sounds like tautology.


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## Pedro y La Torre

Yes, I agree with Wordy McWordface.


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## Roxxxannne

I didn't mean to imply that Americans say "cardigan sweater" or "pullover sweater" in ordinary conversation.  I was using "pullover sweater" and "cardigan sweater" above just to indicate that they are both types of sweater to us.  If you're on an online clothing site or a site with knitting patterns that's based in the US and you click on the category "Sweaters," you'll see both pullovers and cardigans.


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## Tegs

Pedro y La Torre said:


> I don't _hear_ sweatshirt a lot but I do see it written in most (southern) Irish clothing stores and online.


That's true of northern shops too, but not used in speech.


Pedro y La Torre said:


> A cardigan isn't a sweater/jumper where I'm from.


Agreed. Two totally different beasts.


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## elroy

Neither "pullover" nor "jumper" is part of my personal lexicon for these garments, nor do I recall every hearing them used that way in American English.  I use and hear "sweater" for what British speakers call a jumper.

I use "cardigan" for the jacket-like garment with buttons.

Now, in American English, "sweater" is also used very loosely to describe various different types of upper-body garments, so, as @Roxxxannne indicates, a cardigan could also be loosely called a sweater, as could a fleece, a sweatshirt, or a hoodie.


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## kentix

I would say pullover is a garment you pull over your head that is unlike a sweater, which is why it's called a pullover and not a sweater. It would be made of some kind of different material that is not sweater material.


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## elroy

I don't know what distinction you're making.  Are you saying the way you put on a pullover is different from the way you put on a sweater?  Could you elaborate, maybe with pictures? 

Either way, again, I don't think I've ever heard an American English speaker refer to any garment as a "pullover."


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## kentix

This is advertised as a pullover and that's what I would call it. You put it on the same way as a (non-cardigan) sweater but it's not a sweater. It doesn't have the material or shape or overall design of a sweater.






This is a classic sweater and that's what I would call it. Not a pullover.


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## Pedro y La Torre

Yes, for me the first picture is a hoodie/pullover. And the second is a jumper (or what you call a sweater).


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## elroy

Oh, I see.  I misunderstood your earlier post.

That first garment is a hoodie, but many people would (also) (loosely) call it a sweater.

Before I discovered this loose use of "sweater," I would have said the same thing you said.  I would have only used "sweater" for the second garment.  However, the loose use is very common.  In that use, "sweater" is a hypernym for what you call sweaters as well as hoodies, fleeces, sweatshirts, cardigans, and maybe other things I'm not thinking of right now.


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## kentix

And I would reject that hypernym.  To me a sweatshirt will never be a sweater.


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## elroy

Nevertheless, the hypernym use is very widespread in American English.

It's convenient when the specific subtype is not important and you don't want to over-specify or give a laundry list of options.  For example, "It's a bit chilly out.  You should put on a sweater," where "sweater" could be any of the types of garments I mentioned, which would all do the job of keeping you warm.

Where the distinction matters, you have to use a specific word, and unfortunately "sweater" is going to be ambiguous if you specifically mean your second garment.  You would need to describe it some other way if you wanted to make 100% sure you were understood.

I do understand your reaction.  I grew up with "sweater" = your second garment only, so when I first encountered the hypernym use I found it very strange.  It still feels somewhat odd to me, although I'm (more or less) used to it now.


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## kentix

And I will die on that hill.


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## Roxxxannne

A pullover is a knitted garment that you put on over your head.  Nothing else
I have sharpened my #10 knitting needles and will meet you on the field of battle at dawn.  
But seriously, I had no idea that there are different definitions of 'sweater' in the US, especially the hypernym 'sweater.'

I have just been informed that the shirt of an ice hockey uniform is a sweater.


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## Pedro y La Torre

Isn't it a jersey?


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## Roxxxannne

That's what I would have thought.


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## elroy

Roxxxannne said:


> I had no idea that there are different definitions of 'sweater' in the US, especially the hypernym 'sweater.'


Oh!  Based on these statements of yours, I thought you were aware of the hypernym:


Roxxxannne said:


> *A cardigan*, on the other hand, *is a sweater *that has buttons down the front.





Roxxxannne said:


> They're *cardigan sweaters* as distinct from *pullover sweaters*.





Roxxxannne said:


> I was using "pullover sweater" and "cardigan sweater" above just to indicate that *they are both types of sweater to us*. *If* you're on an online clothing site or a site with knitting patterns that's based in the US and *you click on the category "Sweaters," you'll see both pullovers and cardigans*.





Roxxxannne said:


> I have just been informed that the shirt of an ice hockey uniform is a sweater.


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## kentix

Well, there is an understandable, traditionalist reason for that:

"A hockey jersey, traditionally called a sweater (due to it originally being made from sweater material, such as wool), is a piece of clothing worn by hockey players to cover the upper part of their bodies."

In the early days they played outside (and non-professionals still do, actually) and wore sweaters to keep warm.


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## Roxxxannne

I understand that the hypernym 'sweater' includes 'cardigan' and 'pullover.'  I think that in my earlier post I incompletely deleted something, resulting in the meaningless "... especially the hypernym 'sweater.'"

I had no idea that for some Americans that 'sweater' can include sweatshirts, fleeces and hooded sweatshirts.

Oh, and apparently the shirt worn by ice hockey players is traditionally called a sweater because back in the old days when Canadians played hockey on frozen ponds, they wore thick woolen sweaters that they called 'hockey sweaters.'  Apparently some people still call hockey jerseys hockey sweaters (including the sports commentator and Chicagoan Michael Wilbon, for what it's worth).

cross-posted


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## elroy

A few attestations:

_WHICH OF THESE MEN’S SWEATERS DO YOU HAVE? (12 DIFFERENT TYPES)_ lists the following 12 types of "men's sweaters":

V-neck sweater
Crew neck sweater
*Cardigan sweater*
Zip-up sweater
Quarter-zip sweater
Turtleneck sweater
Mock neck sweater
Roll neck sweater
*Sweatshirt*
Rugby shirt
*Hoodie*
Sweater vest

_11 Types of Sweaters to Keep You Stylish (and Warm) This Year_ lists the following:

Crew neck
V-neck
*Cardigan
Sweatshirt*
Turtleneck
Cable knit sweater
*Hoody*
Shawl collar cardigan
Christmas/novelty sweater
Zip-up sweater
Sweater vest

Wish.com lists the following categories under (men's) "Sweaters":

*Cardigans*
Cashmere
Cotton
Crewneck
*Fleece
Hoodies*
Pullovers
Sweater Vests
*Sweatshirts*
Turtlenecks
V Necks
Wool


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## Roxxxannne

I'm not arguing here about what falls under the category of "sweater."  Above, I was joking about sharpening my knitting needles for a duel.  Some Americans wouldn't call a sweatshirt a sweater, and some would.


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## Pedro y La Torre

Roxxxannne said:


> Above, I was joking about sharpening my knitting needles for a duel.


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## london calling

kentix said:


> A jumper is a type of dress in the U.S. I think most often it's worn by little girls.
> 
> View attachment 71741
> View attachment 71742
> 
> I'm no fashion expert, but I think it's always worn with some kind of shirt/top underneath.


That's a tunic or pinafore in BE.


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## Pedro y La Torre

This is what I'd call a tunic:


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## london calling

Pedro y La Torre said:


> This is what I'd call a tunic:
> 
> View attachment 77025


Irish English.

I'd say it was a jacket: it looks like the sort of thing which is part of a uniform (a bell-boy or something?).


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## Pedro y La Torre

Well, that's it, all this fashion is too much for me.


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## Keith Bradford

Uncle Jack said:


> ... I am pretty sure that *"pullover" is now out of the race*, but "sweater" is still common enough, even if it lags far behind "jumper"...


It's in everyday use in this household.  Here:

*A pullover* = long-sleeved knitted woolly top with no front fastenings.  I'd never heard of sweater or jumper as synonyms of it before my teens, though I had heard jersey or guernsey (my dad's favourite, pronounced _ganzy_).

*A sweater* (= sweatshirt) differs from a pullover/jersey/jumper in that it is not woolly and has a button or two at the front neck opening.

But all in all, I think this set of near-synonyms is as close as this forum has ever come to chaos.  I wonder if there are two of us in any country (let alone across the Atlantic) who have quite the same set of connotations.


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## Pedro y La Torre

Keith Bradford said:


> But all in all, I think this set of near-synonyms is as close as this forum has ever come to chaos.  I wonder if there are two of us in any country (let alone across the Atlantic) who have quite the same set of connotations.


Agreed.


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## london calling

Keith Bradford said:


> But all in all, I think this set of near-synonyms is as close as this forum has ever come to chaos.  I wonder if there are two of us in any country (let alone across the Atlantic) who have quite the same set of connotations.


Very true. For example to me a sweater is a jumper/pullover, not a sweatshirt!


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## Roxxxannne

Keith Bradford said:


> *A pullover* = long-sleeved knitted woolly top with no front fastenings.  I'd never heard of sweater or jumper as synonyms of it before my teens, though I had heard jersey or guernsey (my dad's favourite, pronounced _ganzy_).


❤️
I've seen that spelled gansey: a specific kind of sweater/jumper knit with technically amazing and beautiful designs and a unique shape. I've never had the courage to try to knit one.


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## Pedro y La Torre

And geansaí (apparently from Guernsey originally) is the Irish (Gaelic) for.....jumper!


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## elroy

Roxxxannne said:


> I'm not arguing here about what falls under the category of "sweater."


I know you weren’t.  I shared that information for the purpose of enriching the discussion.  I thought you and/or others might be interested.


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## pachanga7

elroy said:


> A few attestations:
> 
> _WHICH OF THESE MEN’S SWEATERS DO YOU HAVE? (12 DIFFERENT TYPES)_ lists the following 12 types of "men's sweaters":
> 
> V-neck sweater
> Crew neck sweater
> *Cardigan sweater*
> Zip-up sweater
> Quarter-zip sweater
> Turtleneck sweater
> Mock neck sweater
> Roll neck sweater
> *Sweatshirt*
> Rugby shirt
> *Hoodie*
> Sweater vest
> 
> _11 Types of Sweaters to Keep You Stylish (and Warm) This Year_ lists the following:
> 
> Crew neck
> V-neck
> *Cardigan
> Sweatshirt*
> Turtleneck
> Cable knit sweater
> *Hoody*
> Shawl collar cardigan
> Christmas/novelty sweater
> Zip-up sweater
> Sweater vest
> 
> Wish.com lists the following categories under (men's) "Sweaters":
> 
> *Cardigans*
> Cashmere
> Cotton
> Crewneck
> *Fleece
> Hoodies*
> Pullovers
> Sweater Vests
> *Sweatshirts*
> Turtlenecks
> V Necks
> Wool


Sorry but I’m not super convinced that two advertising catch-all lists necessarily attest that average Americans are going to equate sweatshirt with sweater. It’s possible that in some regions they do but I’ve never know it to be true. Advertising is another world.

For specifying a cardigan, although I believe the term is understood by a lot of people it’s not extensively used. I hear more commonly references to a “button-up sweater” or even a descriptive phrase such as “the kind you button up” or “the button-up kind of sweater”. Likewise we may refer variously to a “zip-up sweater” or “the kind that zips” or “the kind that zips up in front”.

And for an open-fronted cardigan I suppose we could just say “the kind that’s open in front”. Stylists make so many variations these days it wouldn’t surprise me to someday hear “a three-quarter-length loose-weave sweater that’s open in front with big pockets and a hood” but then again, we could just say “sweater” and let the item speak for itself. 😊


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## heypresto

pachanga7 said:


> Sorry but I’m not super convinced that two advertising catch-all lists necessarily attest that average Americans are going to equate sweatshirt with sweater.


This would be true of BE speakers too. They are two distinctly different things.


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## kentix

I don't trust any list that lists "v-neck" and "wool" on equal footing as a type.


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## Bobshrunkle

Picture 1 - Christmas jumper not a pullover which tend to be plain or minimal decoration, 2- sweatshirt due to style and presumed fabric, cotton or cotton mix, never wool, 3 - cardigan, " cardi" would be reserved for the elderly. Worth remembering that Jersey and also the similar but different Guernsey originate from the Channel Islands.


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## Roxxxannne

Bobshrunkle said:


> 3 - cardigan, " cardi" would be reserved for the elderly.


Hmmm.  I probably count as "elderly," and I didn't hear the word 'cardi' until about five or so years ago, in the mouths of youngish (40 and under) women.  (Maybe old people who say 'cardi' just think they're being hip.)  Cardis to me are smallish open front sweaters (oftentimes too small to button, or they have no buttons) in fashionable colors.  There are also cropped cardis, which are shorter than a regular cardi.  I know these words only from knitting videos, blogs, etc. run by women on the younger side.
PS I like your screen name, @Bobshrunkle.  I had to say it a couple of times before I got it.  Welcome to the forum!


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## heypresto

It's definitely an old-fashioned term in BE. It's something I'd expect to hear from my very elderly mum.

It may, I guess, have be revived and possibly re-imagined by the yoof of today, but I really don't know.


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## AmericanAbroad

@Demetrius said:


> Hello,
> 
> I've been wondering about this for a while now and never quite got my head around it. What do you call each of these pieces of clothing in your version of English? (I'm interested in as many opinions as possible: American English, British English, Australian English, etc.) *:*
> 
> < Broken spoiler link removed. Cagey, moderator > ​
> From what I've gathered over the years, no. *1* is a _jumper _in British / Australian / NZ English, and a _sweater _in North American English (while the word "jumper" refers to a pinafore dress in American English). No. *2* would be a _sweatshirt _in all version of English, and no. *3* a _sweater_, just like American no. 1 (or a "cardigan", of course, if you want to get specific -- I don't think you would say "It's a little brisk. I'll get a _cardigan._" in casual conversation, though). Is that correct?
> 
> I've checked previous threads about it, but it's still a little blurry (Panjandrum's post does help a lot, though).
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Edited to add:
> Attachments​


I have the vague impression that there is a regional difference with respect to no. 3 in American English.  I'm originally from the midwest and do not recall the word "cardigan" being used at all; it sounds very East Coast, very...preppy.  I'm not saying the word isn't in use in the midwest; a clothing store might use it.  But I never heard anybody say something like, "Hey, have you seen my "cardigan"?  I can't remember where I left it."  It would always be the generic, "sweater".


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## kentix

I had some cardigans when I lived in Minnesota a few decades ago. And I believe the word did get some use, although it was definitely classified as a type of sweater.


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## Roxxxannne

If I am wondering where my cardigan is, I'll say "Where's my striped sweater?" or "where's my gray sweater?" but if I am talking with someone who knows sweater 'jargon' about a sweater I'm knitting or one I just bought, I'd say "I'm knitting/I bought a striped cardigan."

According to this Google ngram, 'cardigan' hit its first "peak" in AmE in 1960 (which is, in my opinion, right before the first wave of preppyness).


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## Wordy McWordface

I'm neither elderly nor yoof, and I sometimes say 'cardi'. 

As for the term 'cardigan', it's neither specialist jargon nor outdated in the UK. If we're referring to a knitted garment that opens up the front, that's what we'd call it.


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## AmericanAbroad

Delvo said:


> First picture: sweater
> Second picture: sweatshirt
> 
> I've lived in three different parts of the USA a bit over a thousand miles apart from each other and never heard anybody say the word "cardigan". Nor have I ever seen that thing in the third picture. So I guess they could fit together... someplace where both the thing and the word actually existed...


Did those three different parts of the U.S. include New England?  That is the region where I think "cardigan" is most likely to be used, or in a state like South Carolina...


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## Geo.

Wordy McWordface said:


> As for the term 'cardigan', it's neither specialist jargon nor outdated in the UK. If we're referring to a knitted garment that opens up the front, that's what we'd call it.



100% in agreement! By definition it isn't a cardigan if it doesn't button up the front (or in modern times may close with a zip). So named for Major General James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, who led the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava, during the Crimean War, and who popularised this specific garment during the period (1853 – 1856). Where I came from (south-east England) _in my day_ a knitted garment pulled over the neck was called a 'jumper' (or in what is likely a dated colloquialism or slang, one could have also said a 'wooly'). The term 'sweater' was understood, though lesser used (it may have seemed distasteful at the time), yet I shouldn't wonder it may have been used by the upper classes, as they seem to have a penchant for blunt, pithy words over the seemingly more refined or euphemistic ... but then, I'm neither 'U' nor Nancy Mitford.


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## Geo.

A further note: a (traditional) Cardigan is always long-sleeved.


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## RM1(SS)

RM1(SS) said:


> Roxxxannne said:
> 
> 
> 
> I am sure pregnant women wear jumpers
> 
> 
> 
> My wife did, back in the '90s.
Click to expand...

But she called them "dresses", not "jumpers". 


Might as well add my opinions here, too. 

*Pullover* -- a long-sleeved outer garment pulled over the head; includes both sweatshirts and sweaters; may have a short opening (neck to around nipple level) closed by buttons or a zipper.
*Sweater* -- a knitted (usually wool) outer garment; can be either a pullover or a cardigan.
*Cardigan* -- a sweater that is open all the way down from neck to bottom; can be fastened with buttons, toggles, or a zipper.
*Hoodie* -- a name used by some people to mean a hooded sweatshirt.
*Fleece* -- a name used by some people to mean a sweatshirt made from a certain specific type of material.
*Jumper* -- a type of women's/girls' dress, as discussed in previous posts, or a style of pullover shirt used with some naval uniforms.


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