"Wife-beater" as article of clothing

[Bob Haas]

Whoa!  I just looked at the archives and no wonder the STREETCAR link felt
so good.  I made it.  Sorry, Amanda, but I think that it's a pretty good
idea for the source of "wife-beater" t-shirts.  An ex of mine, who's
English, used to call these t-shirts "vests."

Later, bob

> From: Amanda Adams <Podko at AOL.COM>
> Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 12:45:00 EDT
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: "Wife-beater" as article of clothing
>
> Does anyone know the origin of the word "wife-beater" to describe a man's
> sleeveless undershirt, as in "He came downstairs wearing his boxers and a
> wife-beater." ?
>
> Amanda
> Tuscaloosa, AL