h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK, I'm a bit perplexed about this entry. You say that flannel is more properly called tartan. Are you sure that's correct? My understanding is that flannel is a fabric (spun from cotton) while tartan is a pattern (now often called plaid). At least some traditional tartan kilts are made from wool.

So, as far as I can tell, flannel may or may not be printed in a tartan or plaid pattern, and a tartan may or may not appear on flannel. Don't appear to be synonymous to me.

I agree - dictionary definitions of flannel and tartan make it quite clear that flannel is a material made of wool or cotton (but usually wool).

Tartan is a pattern based on stripes etc on a cloth object (usually woollen)

They are NOT the same thing

so we got lotsa flannels in 'da yoop', eh?

an' I gotta say, flannels, as in da flannel shirts, are usually plaid [but not always]. But dat's cause de are worn by da hunters, der. an lots of 'em are hunter orange, not blackwatch plaid. an' dey aren't tartans, eh?

an some of 'em are not wool... You got yer cotton flannel shirt for summer wear [both days], an' yer wool flannel shirt for da winter.

an most of da hunters in da yoop are named Enio and Toivo, not Mac or Scotty, ya know. so most of da plaids are not tartans. cause den Enio and Toivo would hafta give Mac an' Scotty a Scottish Kiss while de were wearin' 'em and Enio an' Toivo arent from der, eh?

Now yer tartans are a whole different issue. Just ask Bobbie Burns about that when he wrote 'Come under me plaidie'... hehehehehehe

yer tartan is yer WEAVE of a fabric, och, laddie? And yer different tartans are worn by yer different clans of Scotland, and have evolved into very traditional patterns for each clan.

Course I'm just a scottish dragon from 'da yoop', but dat's just my opinion, och?

}:=8

ps. There was a time in the ancient history of college life when 'preppies' wore tartans and tams. this was long before 'grunge' and was a completely different look.
The 'grunge' look was the 'complete hunting flannel' ensemble; worn with jeans and boots. sometimes with dat cap with da earflaps too, eh?

and then there is the whole issue of flannel underwear...

longjohns, skivvies, bvds, and so on.



}:=8

Sorry but your writing accent was way too thick to be understandable to me.

Me neither, but wasn't the acting great?

I think flannel sheets should be mentioned in this thread.

Lil

And then there's the fact that (in my part of the world at least) a flannel is another name for a facewasher. Not quite sure why, but there you go.

And may I just ask . . . what's the difference between flannel and flannelette? Anyone know?

Translation of previous post:
flannels and tartans are not the same.
Yoopers [and some Canadians] wear flannels and Scots wear tartans

for more information about the strange and mysterious peoples of 'da yoop' please see guide entries
http://www.h2g2.com/A65558 da Yoop
http://www.h2g2.com/A63415 Yoopers



}:=8
da bludragon, eh?

*bows graciously*

thank you...

}:=8

First: I agree. Flannel is not tartan. Tartan, in fact, doesn't originate in the Celtic world, but in the capitalist world. English cloth merchants designed the pattern, and manufactured it in India. It was then marketed to Scottish clans, who were regarded by the British merchants much as Native American tribes were by U.S. merchants. The whole idea of assigning patterns to clans was a marketing scheme. I read this is a detailed history book that my roomate had out of the library for some reason, so, unfortunately don' t have the source. But if anyone feels like doing some research, the truth is out there.

Second: While millions of fashion conscious teeneagers in the early 90s started wearing vinyl after Nirvana hit it big, and while most of those kids are now wearing Gap clothes, and the like, it doesn't change the fact that flannel is a comfortable, warm, durable, inexpensive, material that is, in my opinion, much better looking than the latest stupid fashions churned out by clothing manufacturers to convince us to throw out our perfectly good clothes and "get with the times". Many people (such as Kurt Cobain) wore flannel before it was fashionable, for all of the above reasons, and many people (such as myself) will continue to wear it. If you want to spend your money on the latest GAP crap, so you can be cool like those people on the billboards, then go for it, but don't try to convince the rest of us that we're a silly unfashionable minority who haven't noticed that grunge is dead!

I grew up in the lower penninsula (of michigan) and was actually almost named Toivo, i came with a little bit easier to spell, but not to pronounce name, Ian