The latest in khaki

[Wilson Gray]

>From my years in the Army in Germany, I recall that lodenjackets made
by the company that invented the article of clothing, known in
Britspeak as a "duffel coat," I think, came in a single color called
by the PX "loden green." I'm not sure what the color was called in
German, "lodengruen"? Even by the late 'Fifties, English was already
the language of choice. GI's called it "the magic language," because,
for all practical purposes, it could be used anywhere with anyone.
Except in France, of course.

-Wilson

On 10/27/07, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: The latest in khaki
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I guess "nautical blue" is like "navy blue" but less militaristic.  I've been aware of "loden" for at least a dozen years, probably more like twenty.
>
>   As long as "khaki" is back again, I find a U. S. Marine memoir of WWI, published in 1920, actually refers to the 1916 Marine Corps uniform as "khaki."  The official name was "forest green," closer to "sage-green," as I see it.
>
>   JL
>
>   Chris F Waigl <chris at LASCRIBE.NET> wrote:
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> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Chris F Waigl
> Subject: Re: The latest in khaki
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>
> Joel S. Berson wrote:
> > From Eddie Bauer's "Holiday Book":
> >
> > "Casual cotton chinos with Nano-Tex (R)." They come in loden,
> > nautical blue, khaki, cognac, black, and (if these are colors for the
> > pants and not just belts) black, brown, and light brown.
> >
> > These all look like various shades of brown in the catalog, and the
> > khaki is the lightest -- a coffee with cream shade.
> >
> >
> Even "loden" and "nautical blue"?
>
> Chris Waigl
> who'd expect green and, well, blue
>
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