# men's tanktop - nicknames



## rusita preciosa

Both in Russian and English this shirt (see pic below) has non-flattering nicknames:

AE: *wife-beater*
Russian: *майкa-алкоголичкa* /mayka alkogolochka/ - something like "alcoholic shirt"

How about your language?


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## ThomasK

The new name in Flanders, Belgium, seems to be "*'marcelleke*", which seems to be a name referring to some soap series (but in a diminutive form); i.e., an eponym.


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## ilocas2

Czech: tanktop - *tílko*
there's no nickname as far as I know.


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
«Φανέλ(λ)α» or «φανελ(λ)άκι» (often the second lambda is omitted)
fa'nela _f._, or fane'laci _n._ (diminutive of fa'nela).
A loanword from the Venetian _fanela/fanella_; cognate with Italian _flanella_, French _flanelle_, English _flannel_.
My grand-mother (born 1906) when I was a young boy, I remember her calling it «κασκορσέ» or «κασκορσεδάκι» (kaskor'se _n._, or kaskorse'ðaci _n._-diminutive of «κασκορσέ») a loanword from the French "cache-corset". Haven't heard it since, I think it's obsolete now.

[c] is a voiceless palatal plosive
[ð] is a voiced dental non-sibilant fricative


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## DearPrudence

In French, I don't know where it comes from but it's called "*un marcel*". And generally we have that vision of it worn mainly by middle-aged men playing pétanque


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## ThomasK

Ah, that is where we got it from then in Dutch. I thought it had to do with a soap series !


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## DearPrudence

The origin is not certain but it would come from the name of a brand:
http://www.culture-generale.fr/objets/194-dou-vient-le-marcel

And one mystery solved, one!


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## merquiades

Privet Rusita.  I've never heard of "a wife-beater", but colloquially "a Guido" or "a daddy shirt" once in a while, though I wouldn't advise anyone to repeat them. Correct is "tank top" I believe (by the way "Camisa de tirantes" suspender shirt in Spanish), but there are so many different styles nowadays.


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## Montesacro

In Italy it is simply called "canottiera".



DearPrudence said:


> In French, I don't know where it comes from but it's called "*un marcel*". And generally we have that vision of it worn mainly by middle-aged men playing pétanque



Mmh, that garment evokes images of "unrefined" men in Italy too.

By the way I love thinking of myself in the year 2040 with a big fat belly, wearing a _canottiera_ and playing _pétanque_ ("bocce" in Italian)


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## Nonstar

Em português do Brasil a chamamos de (camiseta) regata;

In Brazilian Portuguese we call it (t-shirt) regata.


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## catlady60

Montesacro said:


> In Italy it is simply called "canottiera".
> 
> 
> 
> Mmh, that garment evokes images of "unrefined" men in Italy too.
> 
> By the way I love thinking of myself in the year 2040 with a big fat belly, wearing a _canottiera_ and playing _pétanque_ ("bocce" in Italian)



Pardon the ethnic slur against Italians, but in some parts of the US, especially in the New York area, they call it a _guinea T _or an _Italian dinner jacket._


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## Montesacro

catlady60 said:


> Pardon the ethnic slur against Italians, but in some parts of the US, especially in the New York area, they call it a _guinea T _or an _Italian dinner jacket._



No need to apologise. It's exactly the kind of garment I would wear for a formal occasion!


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## rusita preciosa

Montesacro said:


> No need to apologise. It's exactly the kind of garment I would wear for a formal occasion!


With a tux or just a tie?
Shorts or trousers?
Black socks and dress Bruno Magli's of course, right?


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## Montesacro

With just a tie.
To complete the outfit: shorts, black socks (just below the knee) and sneakers.


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## rusita preciosa

Montesacro said:


> With just a tie.
> To complete the outfit: shorts, black socks (just below the knee) and sneakers.


 Classy!


merquiades said:


> Privet Rusita. I've never heard of "a wife-beater"


I need new friends


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## Serafín33

In Salvadoran Spanish we call it "camisa de centro" (centre shirt). I don't think there's any nickname for it.


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## elirlandes

In British/Irish English this garment is known as a "vest". 

For us, a tanktop (when referring to a man's garment) refers to a sleeveless jumper/sweater/pullover, as worn by your grandfather.

In the US, it is an "undershirt". For our American friends, "vest" means something completely different (what we call a "waistcoat" if I am not mistaken").


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## merquiades

elirlandes said:


> In British/Irish English this garment is known as a "vest".
> 
> For us, a tanktop (when referring to a man's garment) refers to a sleeveless jumper/sweater/pullover, as worn by your grandfather.
> 
> In the US, it is an "undershirt". For our American friends, "vest" means something completely different (what we call a "waistcoat" if I am not mistaken").



Thanks for the interesting information. Americans and British/Irish really misunderstand each other with the word "vest".  

Tanktop for me is what was mentioned earlier on. Sleeveless vest is what grandfather wears (sleeveless jumper, pullover). (US)
Undershirt has short sleeves and is white. (US)

Vest is a waistcoat in America.  Probably some people may not understand the term.


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## Pedro y La Torre

elirlandes said:


> In British/Irish English this garment is known as a "vest".
> 
> For us, a tanktop (when referring to a man's garment) refers to a sleeveless jumper/sweater/pullover, as worn by your grandfather.
> 
> In the US, it is an "undershirt". For our American friends, "vest" means something completely different (what we call a "waistcoat" if I am not mistaken").



Not amongst my generation elirlandés. When I'm in the gym, I wear a tanktop/wifebeater, and it ain't something worn by grandads.

I've never heard anyone I know call a tanktop a "vest", which for me, would be something quite different.


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## Jamaisleño

Jamaican Creole: Mariina


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## Outsider

Other nicknames in Portuguese.


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## Messquito

In Taiwanese Chinese it's 吊嘎 (hanging vest).

According to this video, in Venezuela they call it franelilla/camisetica (little T-shirt), and in Chile and Argentina it's musculosa (muscular), in Spanish, nadadora (swimmer).


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## KalAlbè

In New York - proper term: Tank top, colloquial term: Wife-beater


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## Encolpius

What is the etymologoly of the Russian word? Why alcogolichka? An alcoholic guy tends to beat his wife and he wears that type of shirt? 

*Hungarian *atlétatrikó


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## 810senior

It's called ランニングrunning or ランニングシャツrunning shirts(not shirt, we pronounce it as if being a plural) in Japanese.


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## Uriel-

Wifebeater.


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## AutumnOwl

(Herr)linne - (men's) underbodice/tanktop (linne = underbodice is also used for female tanktops)
Brynja - hauberk/mail


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## 810senior

Uriel- said:


> Wifebeater.



What an amazing nickname...


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## Uriel-

It is the couture of choice for the discerning man with anger issues.


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## Penyafort

In Spain, it is 'shoulder-strapped vest' or, more interestingly and specific, 'Empire vest'.

Spanish: *camiseta de tirantes, camiseta imperio*
Catalan: *samarreta de tirants, samarreta imperi*​


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