Feb 18, 2023 10:06
1 yr ago
36 viewers *
English term
merino
Non-PRO
English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Hello everyone,
This is (again) from Naipaul's "In a Free State", the second tale, which takes place in the West Indies I think around the 1960's.
The character/narrator tells about his childhood home, remembering a particular instance, and says:
"My father is upstairs, in merino and drawers, rocking in the gallery, rubbing his hands on his arms. The smoke is not keeping away the mosquitoes up there, but mosquitoes don’t bite him. He is not thinking of anything too much; he is just looking out at the black sky and the sugarcane fields and rocking..."
From the context, considering it is used along with "drawers", one could assume "merino" to be a kind of undershirt, but dictionaries define the word only as the fabric or yarn of the breed of sheep, so I cant't make sure.
Thank you.
This is (again) from Naipaul's "In a Free State", the second tale, which takes place in the West Indies I think around the 1960's.
The character/narrator tells about his childhood home, remembering a particular instance, and says:
"My father is upstairs, in merino and drawers, rocking in the gallery, rubbing his hands on his arms. The smoke is not keeping away the mosquitoes up there, but mosquitoes don’t bite him. He is not thinking of anything too much; he is just looking out at the black sky and the sugarcane fields and rocking..."
From the context, considering it is used along with "drawers", one could assume "merino" to be a kind of undershirt, but dictionaries define the word only as the fabric or yarn of the breed of sheep, so I cant't make sure.
Thank you.
Responses
| 5 +1 | merino undershirt |
Randa ElFeky
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| 5 | Merino wool clothing |
Mihaela C N Plamadeala
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Responses
+1
1 hr
Randa ElFeky
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt
Legal and UN Translation Diploma - AUC
Native in: Arabic 
Works in: English to Arabic, Arabic to English
Selected
merino undershirt
It relates to merino undershirt, check https://www.simplymerino.com/products/100-merino-wool-unders...
Where drawers relates to underpants, check https://dictionary.langeek.co/en/word/55254?entry=drawers
Where drawers relates to underpants, check https://dictionary.langeek.co/en/word/55254?entry=drawers
Reference:
http://https://www.simplymerino.com/products/100-merino-wool-undershirt?variant=40620662751423
http://https://dictionary.langeek.co/en/word/55254?entry=drawers
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Shera Lyn Parpia
4 hrs
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Thanks Shera
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| neutral |
Daryo
: did you notice in your 1st ref where they sell undershirts that are really made of merino wool? CANADA
2 days 21 hrs
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Thanks for your response .. In my 1st ref. I meant that “merino” is relates to merino undershirt so please check also this https://www.sweatershop.com/blog/wear-merino-wool-summer-win... as “merino” can be worn in both hot and cold weather
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you Randa"
25 mins
Mihaela C N Plamadeala
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Works in field
United Kingdom
Ro native,BA Eng,translator,proofreader
Native in: Romanian (Variants: Romania, Transylvanian, Moldovan)
Works in: English to Romanian, Romanian to English, Romanian, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Merino wool clothing
It relates to merino wool clothing,see link. Drawers are bottoms, long johns - long thermal underwear.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
philgoddard
: You can't say "clothing and drawers". Drawers are clothing.
46 mins
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Phil, those are 2 sentences. Merino top and bottoms. Better?
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| neutral |
Tony M
: The 'drawers' probably wouldn't be in merino wool — at any rate, it amounts to over-interpretation to suggest they might be.
5 hrs
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Discussion
So it would be an undershirt of unspecified material, made in some particular shape that was originally associated with being made of merino wool.
Similar to calling any fizzy wine "champagne".
Merino wool is good for thermal underwear - in cold climates and for mountaineers. Hardly what's needed in the West Indies, near a plantation with mosquitoes aplenty.
That might be just a generic local name for a type of vest?
At any rate, you would expect both this "merino" and the drawers to be of the same fabric - makes little sens to have the top suited for cold climate and the bottom for warm climate.