What is a jumper?

[WideFootWelly]

Lighthearted, but reoccurring argument with my DH over what a jumper is.

Context: I'm doing a wool wash and ask if he has any Jumpers to go in (the only things he has that are wool), he says no. Then picks up some washing, which includes a jumper, but he says it isn't a jumper...it's a t-shirt because he doesn't wear anything under it.

YANBU: a jumper is a long sleeved top made of wool (although I wouldn't argue with someone calling a similar non wool top a jumper)

YABU: even if it is a long sleeved top and made of wool, if you don't usually wear anything under it then it's called a t-shirt

We're in the UK.

A top.

But that's a general term, it doesn't specifically mean a long sleeved t-shirt.

Whatever your husband's top is, it definitely isn't a t-shirt.

What you describe is a pullover, obviously 😁

I can’t understand how you do things in your house ?! Never mind how you all categorise individual items!! Wool wash….anything to go in ? It’s a cold wash!! Both adults decide which of their items qualify and might not survive a normal cottons wash?

T-shirt? Jumper? Something else?

It's a cotton acrylic blend, and label asks for a gentle wash.

I think that's a wet spot on the front, as it's fresh from the machine.

The photo has just confused me even more!

I wouldn't describe that as a jumper but it's clearly not a t-shirt either so I can understand the confusion

A pullover maybe?

In my house that would just go in standard 40 degree wash with everything else and sure it would be fine!

Tell him to do his own fucking washing

Why are you going along with this bollocks?

A T-Shirt is called that because it looks like a capital T when laid out..
ie Short sleeves

Just to add to the confusion, pinafore dresses are called jumpers in the USA.

This isn't true. A suit jacket isn't a jumper, and is (should be) made from wool. A jumper is specifically knitted, traditionally from wool but synthetic alternatives could also be used.

OP, is your DH a native English speaker? He seems to know a different version of English to the rest of us.

That said, I'm pretty sure my DD18 calls hoodies jumpers......

I wonder if that makes my dressing gown a T-shirt too? 🤔

A jumper is a warm mid-layer that tends to be worn over a base-layer (usually a t-shirt) and under a coat if additional warmth and protection from wind or rain is needed.

Wearing it directly on the skin doesn't stop it from being a base layer or change its washing needs. If it is wool based however, being nit-picky about what order you wear it in and sticking it into the wrong wash cycle will change it to a miniture size.

This is a jumper.

That’s a jumper - a thin on but still a jumper.

Long sleeved shirt or blouse. Not T shirt! “T” symbolises short sleeves.

In my addled mind jumpers are knitwear, generally mid to heavy weight. A sweater is a light to mid weight piece of knitwear and a sweatshirt is heavyweight jersey… I could probably discriminate even further if I thought about it 🙈

How many words do Eskimos have for snow? 🤣

Shirt or blouse makes me think buttons.

Like this, cotton, same material as a t-shirt, labelled as a 'long-sleeved t-shirt'. I don't know what else to call it that isn't too general like 'top' or 'shirt' that makes me think buttons. It's not a pullover as that's a warm layer.

It’s not a T-shirt though @Okunevo - just call it your blue top.

I'm asking for a word that specifies a t-shirt that is long sleeved, not a t-shape. The shops seem to call them long sleeved t-shirts.

@Okunevo 's example is definitely a T-shirt in my mind. It's a long-sleeved T-shirt. The sleeve length needs to be stated because it isn't the default for a T-shirt. Short sleeves are typical but not essential features of a T-shirt, to my mind.

The OED agrees with me on this, I think: "A simple kind of garment, originally a man's undershirt, typically short-sleeved, round-necked, buttonless and made from knitted cotton fabric, and forming the shape of a letter T when spread out flat; now a similar garment of various designs, widely worn as a shirt by men, women, and children for sport or as casual wear."
"T-shirt, n.". OED Online. March 2023. Oxford University Press. www.oed.com/view/Entry/207097