# Forum Other Languages English for Russians - Изучаем английский язык Learn English - Грамматика, переводы, словарный запас  Wife-beater shirt... ?

## alexsms

*Wife-beater shirt.* 
Is it slang, and can it be used in adverts (paper, TV, ...?). Who might be using it? Teenagers? Is it used ironically or seriously? I don't quite understand who is likely to use it in the English-speaking communities and in what types of speech this can occur?

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## sperk

no idea what you're talking about. Did you see this, read this? Is it a shirt with the words "wife beater" written on it???  ::

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## Seraph

Wife-beater: this dates from the movie with Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh, 'A Streetcar Named Desire', 1951.  Stan (Brando), a violent character, wears this type of undershirt.   And so it became known as a wife-beater.

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## gRomoZeka

But is it ok to call it (майку) a wife-beater, or there's another, nicer word?

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## Seraph

If a person simply said undershirt, others would think either of this shirt, or the T-shirt, (or both).
From Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeveless_shirt   and http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%...6%D0%B4%D0%B0)... 
"A-shirt 
The etymology of the term "A-shirt," which is preferred by manufacturers, is uncertain. Some claim that it is short for "athletic shirt" because it is often worn in sports, such as basketball and track-and-field events, while others say that it refers to the "A" shape when laid out flat (compare the origin of the word "T-shirt"). In America, it is also known colloquially as a wife beater, Guinea tee or Dago tee (from guinea and dago, ethnic slurs against Italians).[citation needed] In British English, the A-shirt is known as a vest.[1] ((cf.) American usage of vest) In India it is referred to as Baniyan, Bandi In Scots vernacular it is referred to as a semmit,[2] and as a singlet in Australia and New Zealand. In Colombia it’s known as a "busca pleitos" meaning trouble seeker, in reference to its usage by violent individuals. In Spain they used to be called "camiseta imperio" (Imperial t-shirt). In the former Soviet Union it’s known as "alkogolichka" (alcoholic) as it's often worn by alcoholics[3]. In addition to athletic usage, A-shirts have traditionally been used as undershirts, especially with suits and dress shirts." 
I did not know any of the other things, only the wife-beater reference from Streetcar Named Desire, that they don't list here.

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## Der Doktor

I would say it is a slight Americanism. I've never heard it used in the UK and I personally strongly dislike the word, even though it is technically correct. If you want something less violent, "vest" is a decent alternative.

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## Seraph

I never use the term myself, it's offensive.  The term was simply in memory from movie trivia.  It will probably fade into history, that's my guess.

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## Hanna

I have never even heard it. It's definitely American and probably not even common there...

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## sperk

> But is it ok to call it (майку) a wife-beater, or there's another, nicer word?

 if you walked into a store and asked for a wife beater shirt they'd probably call the police. Seriously, no one would have the slightest idea what you're talking about.

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## Hanna

You do not need to use that word   ::   and the source it came from is not up-to-date.  
Use instead:   VEST
(=what men wear under a shirt...)      T-SHIRT

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## rockzmom

I've never heard it called a "vest" only a TANK or Tank Top

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## Hanna

::  We are both right! I checked it and:  
This is ANOTHER one of these US/UK differences I didn't know about!      _(We should really do a thread about this; it's much more substantial than I had thought. Here is a SHORT list of this.... (there is much more, and that's excluding slang and expressions) http://www.englishclub.com/vocabular...h-american.htm According to this, vest = undershirt)_ 
This doesn't matter much unless you LIVE in an English speaking country though. Basically the problem occurs when you have to speak about everyday items (in the supermarket or shopping) and people don't know what you mean.

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## Dogboy182

> Originally Posted by gRomoZeka  But is it ok to call it (майку) a wife-beater, or there's another, nicer word?   if you walked into a store and asked for a wife beater shirt they'd probably call the police. Seriously, no one would have the slightest idea what you're talking about.

 I don't know what part of the states you're from but thats all I've ever heard them called ever. 
I guess in stores they would be called under shirts or tank tops or something. But 99% of America would call them wifebeaters, cuz, thats what they are. I for whatever reason someone didn't understand you right away all you would have to say is "Wifebeater shirt" and you'd be understood. If you don't want to call it that then you don't have to, but a lot of people do. Don't say that no one uses it though, because they do.

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## Hanna

_Wow, the original poster must be SERIOUSLY confused about this right now.._   
To summarise the thread so far:  *In the USA:* 
correct word = tank top
slang = wife beater * In England and Australia:* 
normal word = vest

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## Dogboy182

Way to break it down Hanna!  
Good job!   ::   ::

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## Mr Happy Go Lucky

> You do not need to use that word    and the source it came from is not up-to-date.  
> Use instead:   VEST
> (=what men wear under a shirt...)

 Must be what them brits say. I wouldaf never called that thing a vest. Lol.
A tank top is more like it. Though that kind of apparel is not my cup of tea, I'm more of a t-shirt guy. Lol 
A wife beater - don't use this word, if you do you're running a risk of raising a few eyebrows around at best. At least in my neck of the woods.

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## Mr Happy Go Lucky

> Originally Posted by gRomoZeka  if you walked into a store and asked for a wife beater shirt they'd probably call the police. Seriously, no one would have the slightest idea what you're talking about.

 If I walked into a store and asked for a wife beater, they would hand me a mirror right away. Lol

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## Dogboy182

If you google picture the words "Wife" and "Beater" you get about 2,000 pictures of people wearing "vests" and only about three pictures of women with black eyes. 
It is an extremely common name for this attire so, just because you don't use it doesn't mean you should discourage others from using it, or at least learning it.
I personally can't remember ever meeting someone who didn't know what one was, but maybe I've just done a whole lot more traveling than a lot of other people. Not that I go around asking everyone about this shirt, but anyways.

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## Mr Happy Go Lucky

Well, I have it on good authority that out here in the willywags this word isn't used to describe a tank top.
Of course people can ask in a clothing store for a wifebeater, but the clerk will only shrug his shoulders in bewilderment or say "come again please?"
I don't aim to discourage anybody from using it. Be my guest.

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## rockzmom

Maybe because I am female?? But as I've stated before, I've lived on both the East Coast and West Coast, in the North and South and in the MidWest... and I worked in retail clothing for major retail chain... NEVER have I heard it called a wifebeater until this thread!

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## Mr Happy Go Lucky

> NEVER have I heard it called a wifebeater until this thread!

 Neither have I, but given the fickle nature of the english language, it doesnt come as a complete surprise to me that some Americans (Dogboy for instance) use it.
Still "wifebeater" strikes me as quite odd, just cant see my way clear to adopting and using it.

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## gRomoZeka

*Mr Happy Go Lucky* and *rockzmom*, that's very interesting!
I've ALWAYS heard/seen it called a wifebeater and nothing else.  ::  And i always wondered why Americans don't like _tank tops_ (?) so much. In Russian it's quite a neutral word, associated with May (~a May shirt).

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## Basil77

> In Russian it's quite a neutral word, associated with May (~a May shirt).

   ::  Really? Never thought about майка this way. For me it was just a simple word.

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## Lampada

> Originally Posted by gRomoZeka  In Russian it's quite a neutral word, associated with May (~a May shirt).     Really? Never thought about майка this way. For me it was just a simple word.

 Я сначала подумала, что опять что-то новое для меня.  А это просто майка!   :: 
Да, я тоже майку никогда не ассоциировала с маем.

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## Basil77

Кстати, я слышал такое выражение, как "майка-алкоголичка", чем-то напоминает американское название.

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## gRomoZeka

> Originally Posted by gRomoZeka  In Russian it's quite a neutral word, associated with May (~a May shirt).     Really? Never thought about майка this way. For me it was just a simple word.

 Yes, it's just a simple word.  ::  But some people associate it with May, and according to one of the two existing theories, it does derives from the word May. Anyway, I tried to say, that it's a neutral word without any negative widely known "nicknames".

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## rockzmom

> *Mr Happy Go Lucky* and *rockzmom*, that's very interesting!
> I've ALWAYS heard/seen it called a wifebeater and nothing else.  And i always wondered why Americans don't like _tank tops_ (?) so much. In Russian it's quite a neutral word, associated with May (~a May shirt).

 Ahhhh that is simple.... two reasons: 
Because we Americans wear those tank tops as shirts. My girls do almost 24/7. They layer them with other color tanks. Sometimes with a a lone vest over top. Men wear them just as a shirt. And "we" Americans don't like seeing hairy backs/armpits (male or female) or any fat ripples (male or female) under those tank tops. Yet, we don't want to workout to get rid of this unsightly fat or eat healthier.  
And.. 
IMHO... it has a stigma of being a shirt that a foreigner would wear... say an Italian or Hispanic. Not a hard working AMERICAN. Not a "real" businessman, but the gardener or plumber... someone who needs to have a freer range of motion when he moves his arms or gets hots when he works and chopped off the sleeves of his undershirt.

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## Dogboy182

> Originally Posted by gRomoZeka  *Mr Happy Go Lucky* and *rockzmom*, that's very interesting!
> I've ALWAYS heard/seen it called a wifebeater and nothing else.  And i always wondered why Americans don't like _tank tops_ (?) so much. In Russian it's quite a neutral word, associated with May (~a May shirt).   Ahhhh that is simple.... two reasons: 
> Because we Americans wear those tank tops as shirts. My girls do almost 24/7. They layer them with other color tanks. Sometimes with a a lone vest over top. Men wear them just as a shirt. And "we" Americans don't like seeing hairy backs/armpits (male or female) or any fat ripples (male or female) under those tank tops. Yet, we don't want to workout to get rid of this unsightly fat or eat healthier.  
> And.. 
> IMHO... it has a stigma of being a shirt that a foreigner would wear... say an Italian or Hispanic. Not a hard working AMERICAN. Not a "real" businessman, but the gardener or plumber... someone who needs to have a freer range of motion when he moves his arms or gets hots when he works and chopped off the sleeves of his undershirt.

 I think you answered your own question. You're a woman and who stated you have girls. I guess thats probably why you've never heard it. Because mostly men use this term. Also just because you worked in retail it doesn't come as a surprise that you haven't heard it. Its not like people go to the store to try them on or look out for the latest fashion of wife beater attire. You usually buy them in packs of 3 in the sock aisle at Walmart. Also, I think the word is most common with young(er) men so the fact you don't happen to be one of those is probably why you haven't seen it before.  
I personally don't wear them (prefer тельняшки)  or even use this word. But a lot of people do. So I guess 'people like me' are just stupid.

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## rockzmom

> I think you answered your own question. You're a woman and who stated you have girls. I guess thats probably why you've never heard it.

 Ummm... hmmm.. Well just remember, I do have a father and I am married. I'm not completely ignorant to men's clothing.  
And last I checked, a retail store means anything from Walmart to Lord and Taylor to Macy's to Saks and all of those stores actually DO sell packages of these types of shirts.  
You need to get out more Dogboy and expand your horizons!  ::

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## Mr Happy Go Lucky

> I think you answered your own question. You're a woman and who stated you have girls. I guess thats probably why you've never heard it. Because mostly men use this term.

 I'm an all-around, died in the wool American guy and I ain't heard of that term, cross my heart and hope to die. You dear challenge my manhood? I hope not. For the record, I aint some pansy who wears women's clothes.   ::   ::   ::  
By the way, following this logic I'm going to call a three piece suit or toxido a wife-cheater. Lol
Honey, today I'm wearing a wife cheater so don't wait up for me tonight. Hehe.

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## Mr Happy Go Lucky

PS:
This is what a real wife beater looks like: http://wylfwt.com/home/files/images/Wife%20Beater.jpg 
And what is hie wearing? Prison overalls I guess. Don't make no mistakes about it: a wife beater is a big hulk of a guy beating on his wife.

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## Dogboy182

Ok by all logic if you have three teenage boys you're 300x more likely to have heard the term than if you have girls. They, in turn will hang out with other boys who  learn new words from them and copy each others styles, talk like each other, dress like each other ETC. As previously stated I heard this word for the first time when I was about 12 by hanging out with my friends. Someone used the word (probably learned it from another friend) and it stuck with all of us. 
I guess that makes perfect sense. 
Thats all I was saying. I wasn't challenging anyone's manhood or questioning whether or not anyone was married to a man. Kthnx.

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## Mr Happy Go Lucky

I gotta admit I AM a little long in the tooth. The language is changing right before my eyes.

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## rockzmom

WOW!!! look at the opening for a book that won Amazon's Best Book of the month for Oct. 2010 and this is for ages 14-up.. it is a "young adult" book!!  
REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly  

> Those who can, do. 
> Those who can't, deejay. 
> Like Cooper van Epp. Standing in his room--the entire fifth floor of a Hicks Street brownstone--trying to beat-match John Lee Hooker with some piece of trip-hop horror. On twenty thousand dollars' worth of equipment he doesn't know how to use. 
> "This is the blues, man!" he crows. "It's Memphis mod." He pauses to pour himself his second scotch of the morning. "It's like then and now. Brooklyn and Beale Street all at once. It's like hanging at a house party with John Lee. Smoking Kents and drinking bourbon for breakfast. All that's missing, all we need--" 
> "--are hunger, disease, and a total lack of economic opportunity," I say. 
> Cooper pushes his porkpie back on his head and brays laughter. He's wearing a wifebeater and an old suit vest. He's seventeen, white as cream and twice as rich, trying to look like a bluesman from the Mississippi Delta. He doesn't. He looks like Norton from The Honeymooners.

 How many 14 year olds are going to know about The Honeymooners or a "wifebeater"???

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