Help me in English language!

[Barbara]

What I always wanted to know:
If you put a thing on your head, when is it called a cap and when is it a hat? I remember having read about "woolen hats" as in knitted. A thing like that in Germany would be a cap (Kappe or Mütze).
However a stiff thing like what today's adorable COTD is wearing would be a hat (Hut).
A baseball hat would always be a cap and never a hat.
I feel that things are sorted differently in English. Looking forward to an intense discussion about top-of-head ornaments ;)

[Edwina's Secretary]

I think of a cap as something more casual than a hat.

Baseball caps are something I think should be worn with the eyeshade shading the eyes instead of the nap of the neck...but that is a whole different discussion.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Pam]

Barbara I have to congratulate you (and anyone!) who tries to comprehend the English language! It is sometimes a struggle for us for whom it is our native tongue! LOL! That said, I think that something that is sort of "form fitting" on the head might qualify as a cap, while a hat might be more of what Today's Cat is wearing, even though we call it a cap (as in a cap and gown). See what I mean about our language! :rolleyes: LOL!




Baseball caps are something I think should be worn with the eyeshade shading the eyes instead of the nap of the neck...but that is a whole different discussion.:rolleyes::rolleyes:


Agree! LOL! :)

[Taz_Zoee]

A cap, to me, is the lid for a pen or other object. An item worn on the head is always a hat to me. But I do not speak perfect English, AT ALL! :) There's probably some errors in this post. :p

[Killearn Kitties]

I have always thought that a cap was something with a skip, the kind of thing schoolboys wore in the dim and distant past. I can't find a proper picture, only this kind of thing from a fancy dress site (http://fancydressheaven.co.uk/bmz_cache/d/dfbae094b0f11e3a96d4c1022243c54f.image.300x450.jpg ).

[Karen]

To further complicate matters, what today's Cat of the Day is wearing is called a mortarboard - but colloquially known as a graduation cap.

Hat and cap are somewhat interchangeable, but as Sara mentioned, a cap is generally less formal.

The Queen mum, for example, wore hats. Prince Charles often dons a cap.

And a baseball cap, when worn facing front, makes a great hands-free umbrella for one's eyeglasses!

[kokopup]

I think that cap and hat are often the same as in baseball cap or hat. I usually look at any head cover as being a HAT and in some cases is also a cap. If you are wearing a Bowler it is always a hat. Same would go for a TOP or Derby Hat. I think more confusing would be the words pants and trousers. It depends on what the purpose is for their use. Like you would never refer to blue jeans as trousers, or you would not refer to the bottom of a TUX as pants, but of course you could and
that would be ok ;)

[Catherinedana]

cap : (a) head covering especially with a visor and no brim (think of the Tweed caps associated with Ireland) (b) : a distinctive head covering emblematic of a position or office, for example a nurse's cap or motorboard

hat: a covering for the head usually having a shaped crown and brim, for example a derby hat or cowboy hat.

Thanks to Merriam Webster!

[Barbara]

I am very grateful that an explanation for pants and trousers is also included- that's another one.
Here everything like a cowboy hat, a Homburg, a trilby and a bowler would also be hats- but baseball caps would never. So the English hat invades the territory of the German cap- but basically it's the same difference:D

Killearn Karen: what you are talking about- would it be that classical thing made of Harris Tweed that has a short hard visor which is mainly hidden by the rest of the cap?

[Killearn Kitties]

Killearn Karen: what you are talking about- would it be that classical thing made of Harris Tweed that has a short hard visor which is mainly hidden by the rest of the cap?
No Barbara, that is a bunnet!

[Kirsten]

Interesting topic... I always wondered about that pants/trousers thing myself! :)

Kirsten

[Edwina's Secretary]

No Barbara, that is a bunnet!

No, no! It's a newsboy cap! ;):D

And only men wear trousers. Women wear pants or slacks! ;)

[Killearn Kitties]

Well, how interesting. I have always thought that Americans referred to all trousers as pants. I just thought that that was what they called them.

[Daisy and Delilah]

WOW!!! That is a loaded, but fun, question to say the least. The English language has a million different names for the same thing. :)

I always call something a cap like a baseball cap or a ball cap. There is a visor attached to all of them.
A hat is anything else. Pillbox hat, cowboy hat, top hat, etc. This is just the way I see it and I'm sure there are many other ways to see it.:)

[Kirsten]

And only men wear trousers. Women wear pants or slacks!

Wow, really? Another interesting thing I have learned today! :)

Thanks!

Kirsten

[kokopup]

When I talked about dressing up I always refered to my trousers as "dress slacks". With a man's suit the trousers were called slacks, never pants. Since retiring I have a closet full of "dress Slacks" that I never wear except for the occasional funeral. I don't do weddings. The closest I come to dressing up now is a pair of Dockers. I think Dockers are almost trousers but probably just pants.:D I am sure there are also many regional differences here in the US that I'm not aware of.

[Barbara]

Well, how interesting. I have always thought that Americans referred to all trousers as pants. I just thought that that was what they called them.
How would it be in British English? Would a woman's business suit have pants or trousers? (If it doesn't have a skirt ;))

[Killearn Kitties]

The closet I come to dressing up now is a pair of Dockers. I think Dockers are almost trousers but probably just pants.:D I am sure there are also many regional differences here in the US that I'm not aware of.

Do you have a photo so that we can decide for ourselves? :D

[Barbara]

How would you define slacks?:confused:

[Moesha]

Dockers are like khaki pants. I don't use the word trousers or really even slacks. "Pants" is a universal word for me that covers all long things on one's legs, male or female, that aren't made out of denim...those are jeans. It could be a regional thing but is probably more generational.

[Killearn Kitties]

How would it be in British English? Would a woman's business suit have pants or trousers? (If it doesn't have a skirt ;))
We don't call trousers pants. Ever. Men or women's. Pants to us are knickers.
Don't ever tell any of your colleagues in London that you are wearing pants with your suit. :eek: They will be concerned that you don't wear them the rest of the time.

[Moesha]

Knickers are pants that come to your knees and are sort of fitted with a band at the bottom causing the fabric to balloon out just a bit. ;)

[Killearn Kitties]

Knickers are pants that come to your knees and are sort of fitted with a band at the bottom causing the fabric to balloon out just a bit. ;)
No, no, those are bloomers! :D

If it is not too indelicate, can I ask what you call the garment you wear under your pants?

[Moesha]

Underwear or panties, but only women wear panties.

Yikes. Don't do an image search for "knickers"! LOL

Knickers. (http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/golfknicker-com_2064_9805553)

[Killearn Kitties]

Those are Plus Fours! The sort of thing golfers used to wear? So knickers go on the outside then?

[Moesha]

Yes, knickers go on the outside.

[Barbara]

These (on Moesha's picture) would be Knickerbocker in German. And I always thought bloomers were a similar cut- but woman's panties/knickers in the time of our grannies, white, with lace at the hem?

[Moesha]

Yes, that's what bloomers are. Women would wear them under their dresses in days long ago.

[Edwina's Secretary]

So knickers go on the outside then?


They would be rather scratchy on the inside!:p

[Killearn Kitties]

OK OK, I just thought from Moesha's original description that she was talking about something that went underneath your clothes. I was still concerned about what Barbara might say to her colleagues, which is more that she deserves after bringing up the missed plane issue the other day.

[Edwina's Secretary]

KK...men wear briefs or boxers under their trousers. Although I have read there are some men who wear panties....:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Barbara]

I was still concerned about what Barbara might say to her colleagues, which is more that she deserves after bringing up the missed plane issue the other day.

I knew revenge was on its way:D

[Moesha]

Ok, ES, you know what is coming next. Are you going to explain the difference between boxers and briefs? LOL That's why I just said underwear. :)

[Killearn Kitties]

Ok, ES, you know what is coming next. Are you going to explain the difference between boxers and briefs? LOL That's why I just said underwear. :)
Oh oh oh I think I know that! I think we call those items by the same names.

[Barbara]

Oh oh oh I think I know that! I think we call those items by the same names.


I don't believe that. You must invent something to mix up foreigners in a better way:D

[Moesha]

I'm afraid of what will happen if/when RICHARD finds this thread!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Ok, ES, you know what is coming next. Are you going to explain the difference between boxers and briefs? LOL That's why I just said underwear. :)

At least I didn't say..."tightie whities!"

[Moesha]

HAHA I almost said that in my post but restrained myself.

[Randi]

Well, these are what I would refer to as knickers. See link!

http://www.knickersblog.com/wp-content/glam_am_french_knickers.jpg

I also have a problem with distinquising pants/trousers. Slacks however, I think is the word you used in the old days, isn't it?

[kokopup]

KK...men wear briefs or boxers under their trousers. Although I have read there are some men who wear panties.... __________________

Yes and there are those that go Commando.:D

[Moesha]

What you posted are definitely panties! My grandma used the terms slacks and trousers more than people I'm around now do. Things are just pants.

ETA: If I used the words slacks or trousers around my nieces or nephew, I don't think they'd know what I was talking about.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Baseball caps are something I think should be worn
with the eyeshade shading the eyes instead of the nap of the neck ...
:rolleyes::rolleyes:

NO, No, no, sillie!

SIDEways - so your EAR doesn't get a sun burn!

Dint the Hoodies teach you Nuffin in Chicago?

:p

[RICHARD]

The last time I heard the term "knickers" was on the BBC's Graham Norton show.

Nigella Lawson was on and GN asked her about the stories in the media about her going 'sans knickers' often.


No translation needed here!
:eek:;)