Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

Word? Brown 'workers' version of lab-type coat

Straight answers to factual questions
Forum rules
Direct questions and answers, this room is not for general discussion please
DiamondEcho
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3131
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:39 pm
Has thanked: 3060 times
Been thanked: 554 times

Word? Brown 'workers' version of lab-type coat

#138996

Postby DiamondEcho » May 14th, 2018, 2:53 pm

I'm trying to think of a word. The teachers and headmaster at the neighbouring school all wear the subject cut of outer-wear when wondering around in the playground during break. The females white ones, the head-master a dark blue one. They're the same cut as a white lab-coat. People will be familiar with calling a white one a 'lab-coat'.
Ronnie Barker's character in Open all hours wore a brown one, that's associated with tradesmen. Googling suggests it might be: 'Arkwright still fitted Ronnie as comfortably as, well, an old brown shop coat'. Is that the term, I don't think I've heard it before?
I even browsed the mega DIY shop Screwfix's listing but they don't seem to stock them.

What might the head-masters blue coat be called, simply a coat, without reference to it's function?

p.s. IIRC a 'house coat' was the kind of blue nylon coat Dot Cotton in East-enders wore; very popular through circa the 1960s, but AFAIR only women used them.

midnightcatprowl
Lemon Slice
Posts: 419
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:07 pm
Has thanked: 338 times
Been thanked: 197 times

Re: Word? Brown 'workers' version of lab-type coat

#138999

Postby midnightcatprowl » May 14th, 2018, 3:03 pm

When my father wore such a brown coat as a factory worker in the 50s/60s/70s he and everyone else referred to them as his 'overalls' because the went 'over' ordinary clothes just as when you wear a coat to go outside in colder weather the coat goes 'over' your indoor clothing. A little search on the internet brought up for me this definition of 'overalls':

a loose-fitting coat or one-piece garment worn over ordinary clothes for protection against dirt or heavy wear.


so it does look as if the word 'overall' can refer to just a coat which protects your ordinary clothes from dirt and damage and not necessarily only to one piece garments which cover your body, arms and legs.

Breelander
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 4178
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:42 pm
Has thanked: 999 times
Been thanked: 1855 times

Re: Word? Brown 'workers' version of lab-type coat

#139006

Postby Breelander » May 14th, 2018, 3:44 pm

DiamondEcho wrote:..Ronnie Barker's character in Open all hours wore a brown one....


There seem to be a wide range of terms used 'in the trade'. 'Warehouse coat' seems to be the generally accepted term for the brown ones...
Storemans Warehouse, Open All Hours Shopkeepers Coat, Dust Jacket
https://www.yarmo.co.uk/clothing/outerw ... oat-ct01k/

Meatyfool
Lemon Slice
Posts: 313
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:43 am
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 55 times

Re: Word? Brown 'workers' version of lab-type coat

#139008

Postby Meatyfool » May 14th, 2018, 3:50 pm

Brown Coat.

Perennially used by on-camera scene shifters on BBC programmes as well.

Meatyfool..

tjh290633
Lemon Half
Posts: 8207
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:20 am
Has thanked: 913 times
Been thanked: 4096 times

Re: Word? Brown 'workers' version of lab-type coat

#139046

Postby tjh290633 » May 14th, 2018, 7:16 pm

I had a white lab coat, until it got splashed with hot tar when I kicked a stopped steam trap, which fell off the pipe.

Replaced with a brown one, which I think I still have, 60 years on. Used when washing the car once or twice a year.

One lad in our lab used to shout "Gunstones"! after a firm of bakers in Sheffield when one walked by.

TJH

wilbobob
2 Lemon pips
Posts: 119
Joined: November 7th, 2016, 4:03 pm
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 36 times

Re: Word? Brown 'workers' version of lab-type coat

#139071

Postby wilbobob » May 14th, 2018, 8:49 pm

+1 for warehouse coat

tjh290633
Lemon Half
Posts: 8207
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:20 am
Has thanked: 913 times
Been thanked: 4096 times

Re: Word? Brown 'workers' version of lab-type coat

#139084

Postby tjh290633 » May 14th, 2018, 10:14 pm

Smock is another word that has been used.

TJH

JMN2
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2156
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:21 am
Has thanked: 288 times
Been thanked: 282 times

Re: Word? Brown 'workers' version of lab-type coat

#139313

Postby JMN2 » May 16th, 2018, 9:00 am

Chore coat?

By the way, denim jeans used to be called waist overalls before the 40's.

surdavy
Posts: 6
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 1:58 pm
Has thanked: 2 times

Re: Word? Brown 'workers' version of lab-type coat

#139388

Postby surdavy » May 16th, 2018, 3:58 pm

Dust Coat


Return to “Does anyone know?”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests