[Ads-l] layer = "an insulating item of clothing"

[Ben Zimmer]

Of the major dictionaries, it looks like only American Heritage has this
particular sense of the noun and verb.

----
https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=layer
layer, n.
4. An item of clothing worn over or under another.
v. tr.
4. To wear (clothing) in layers.
----

AHD is just missing the intransitive usage, e.g., "be sure to layer." (If
Fred's wife wanted to be more succinct, she could say, "Layer!")

--bgz

On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 10:36 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
wrote:

> Whenever I complain that my wife sets the thermostat at 58 degrees, she
> says "wear layers !"
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Mark
> Mandel <markamandel at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2019 5:10 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: layer = "an insulating item of clothing"
>
> Has anyone else encountered this usage?
>
> An exchange with the writer of an announcement:
>
> =====
>
> Fri, Oct 18, 2019, 2:35 PM …
>
> This is just a quick reminder that we're organizing … on Monday, October
> 21st, at 9:30am.
> [The event] will go until ~1pm and be followed by a vegetarian potluck
> lunch.
>
> Things to bring:
> …
> -A layer. We hope to be outside.
>
> =====
>
> Fri, Oct 18, 2019, 10:57 PM Mark Mandel …
> «-A layer. We hope to be outside.»
>
> I'm sorry, that doesn't make any sense to me. A layer of what, for what? My
> only guess is that you mean something to sit or lie on, like a picnic
> blanket, to protect our clothes from getting stained by the grass.
>
> =====
>
> Tue, Oct 22, 2019, 1:50 PM…
> Hi Mark-
> By a layer, I meant a clothing layer. Like a jacket or sweater.
>
> =====
>
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org