"Sweater vest / sweatervest"

[Wilson Gray]

Thanks, arnold. It does look like I need to get out more. I was thinking
that perhaps the sweater vest might *not* necessarily have the v-neck. I've
read the term, "sweater vest," before, but, until today, I had no idea what,
exactly, it referred to.

-Wilson

On 4/26/06, Arnold M. Zwicky <zwicky at csli.stanford.edu> wrote:
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Arnold M. Zwicky" <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: "Sweater vest / sweatervest"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Apr 26, 2006, at 3:03 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:
>
> > I've just heard the above term (the speaker was wearing one:
> > "According to Esquire, the sweater vest is in, this season") used
> > for what I've known, till now, only as a "sleeveless sweater."
> >
> > Is this another instance in which I need to get out more?
>
> possibly.
>
> the first sweater vest (so labeled)i recall buying was in 1958.
> actually, i bought three, as part of my going-to-college clothes.  i
> have regularly worn sweater vests ever since.
>
> they are, in my usage, not merely sleveless sweaters (though your
> usage of "sleveless sweater" might not be perfectly compositional),
> since sweater vests are always v-necked.
>
> plenty of googleable links, but apparently not in the OED.
>
> arnold
>
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