"dungarees"

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 2:32 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> My entire family back to my grandparents used this word - I'm tempted to say
> exclusively.  In fact, I used to use it too.  That's three generations of
> NYC natives, as far back as the 1890s.
>
> U.S. naval and merchant sailors have worn "dungarees" at work (outside of
> office jobs) since before the Civil War.  The coveralls that replaced the
> two-piece work uniform are still called dungarees.
>
> In fact, while "jeans" is now undoubtedly more common, I'm amazed at the
> suggestion that most Americans may not know what "dungarees" are.

Lee still markets jeans as "dunagarees":

http://www.lee.com/shop/Mens/Lee_Dungarees/

But it appears the word has been revived for its retro appeal as part
of the "Buddy Lee" advertising campaign:

---
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Lee
Buddy Lee was an advertising mascot for Lee Jeans. The doll, a
promotional item for the company from 1920 to 1962, was brought back
as the star of television advertising for the company's Lee Dungarees
line from 1998 until the mid-2000s.
...In 1998, ad agency Fallon McElligott brought back the doll, along
with the 1940s Lee tagline "Can't Bust 'Em," to promote the Lee
Dungarees line, aimed at 17- to 22-year-old males.
---

FWIW, the word still occasionally works its way into the lyrics of New
York rappers -- a quick check of ohhla.com finds it in songs by Busta
Rhymes, Notorious B.I.G., and Kool Keith inter alia, often serving as
a useful rhyme.


--Ben Zimmer

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