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I remember when these were called "Benny" hats after the character who wore one all the time in the (predominantly) 1970s soap Crossroads. Is "beanie" a coruption of "benny"? Dainamo 20:41, 9 Aug 2004 (UTC)

How young did you say you were? ;-) "Beanie" has been around since at least the 1940s (which is before even my time). So it's probably more that "Benny" was a clever pun based on the character Benny wearing a beanie. Elf | Talk 21:03, 9 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Is this article about a cloth cap, like a baseball or cyclist's cap without a brim, or is it about a knit hat, like a tuque? It looks mixed-up to me. —Michael Z. 2005-12-6 01:44 Z

A Beanie cap is a rigid little hat with a set of 2 propellers on top of it —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.70.8.194 (talk) 21:10, 24 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I find this usage of "beanie" to mean a "ski hat" or a "knit cap" to be very odd. I've never heard that usage here in the Pacific Northwest where I grew up; to me, a "beanie" is a skull cap with a propeller. Knit caps are something entirely different from beanies in my dialect. -- ManekiNeko | Talk 08:09, 21 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Here in the American Mid-South, we refer to the cap being described as a "sock cap," a "stocking cap," or more colloquially a "toboggan." A beanie is, to me, similar to a yarmulke, or a brimless baseball cap, with or without propeller! Iamvered 05:39, 24 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I am from Northwest Georgia, where the dialect and word choices reflect that of the greater Tennessee valley region. I grew up hearing "toboggan" for a brimless knit hat (with or without eye holes). Only once I got a little older did I hear Northerners speak of toboggans as sleds. I have never in my life heard them called "beanies", except perhaps at a department store. More recently, I have used the word "skullcap" because less and less people know what I mean by "toboggan".Jetimms (talk) 18:58, 22 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

==Did beanies really fall out of favor by the 1950's? In the June 29th, 1949 episode of The Martin and Lewis Show (radio: http://www.archive.org/download/MartinAndLewis_OldTimeRadio/MartinLewisShow490628_013_JohnCarradine.mp3), Jerry gives a propeller beanie to a precocious boy he and his date agreed to babysit. When the boy asks why he should be interested in a beanie hat, Jerry and his date struggle to explain the hats' appeal for kids saying "they're crazy about them." Jerry goes on to say that beanies with propellers "are a novelty, a new gimmick," suggesting that beanies were still very popular and in fashion--at least with kids. I know radio shows are not necessarily experts on their subjects matter, but they tended to reflect truths about popular culture. alainsane (talk) 04:36, 12 September 2009 (UTC)alainsane[reply]

In SE Australia, a tight wollen cap (what passes as a "toque" in the praries of Canada) is almost ubiquitously referred to as a beanie. My personal experience is that many Australians find it hilarious that it means skull-cap with a propellor to many North Americans. Rickert 13:12, 24 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It doesn't necessarily mean that. A beanie to us is exactly what it is to you — a tight knit cap without a bill. College freshmen were often required to wear one in school colors as a sort of initiation. The propeller is just one variety. Daniel Case 00:10, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

They're known as a beanie across Australia, I'm fairly certain. The "beanie swings away from the 'form' it favors in the south to the 'function' of the north" bit of the article definitely gives this article a sense of regionalism. Strange, as the term is prevalent in places outside North America. 220.233.92.125 (talk) 03:01, 14 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Beanies refer to knit caps in California dialect. The idea it refers to seamed caps is antiquated there. Clearly, there is nothing so large as a "North American" usage of the term. This should be changed. --2601:9:4081:7F06:C5F5:1C0A:1B33:ECEA (talk) 19:54, 29 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I've seen people play it at campus, but I cannot seem to find any rules for it. Anyone know anyhting about it? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 203.167.220.130 (talk • contribs) 01:28, 3 December 2006 (UTC).[reply]

Definitely not a good idea. This is one of the few specific references for toboggan. I use the term toboggan to call a winter hat; I do not ever call them a beanie. Grace Lane

Yes, there are many synonyms for this type of hat. However, some of them given are unrefrenced or vague, and are removed. They are knit hat, knit cap - refers to method of making rather than type of hat. ski capor, chook - no refrences found on web. boggan - no refrences found, and sounds like slang. warm winter hat - numerous head-warmers are not beanies. Sipple cap, monkey cap - please provide refrences to these reigon-specific terms not easily verified on the internet. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 132.194.98.45 (talk) 23:13, 27 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

John Tenniel's drawing of Tweedledee & Tweedledum, published in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass", in 1872, has the brothers wearing beanies. It would appear that they were already a symbol of some sort, perhaps childish silliness, much early than the 1920's as mentioned in the article. I wonder how far they really go back? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.212.235.154 (talk) 11:14, 4 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The 'beanies' in the Tenniel are a version of the commonplace school cap which was until recently a standard part of school uniform for children in the UK and which is still current for many schools here. The school cap (for which there doesn't seem to be a Wikipedia page) gave rise to the sports cap awarded to a player who represents their country in an international match. In neither case have I ever heard these caps referred to as 'beanies' and I would doubt whether Lewis Carroll or Tenniel ever did.--Coconino (talk) 14:38, 20 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Tweedle-dee & Tweedledum's caps in the picture have brims (like a standard school cap) and so do not fit the description of a 'beanie' in this article. I've removed it. 86.156.119.51 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 17:13, 20 January 2011 (UTC).[reply]

In the early sixties, I attended a Catholic grammar school. All the girls wore little navy blue nylon beanies to church during the week. They matched our uniforms. Other schools with red uniforms had red beanies. That was when women were expected to wear a head cover during Mass. I am surprised to see no one else has mentioned this? 97.83.176.12 (talk) 07:24, 6 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I think this section should go if we can't find authoritative sources that indicate these woven hats are regularly called "beanies." It's no more a beanie than a yarmulke or skullcap is...DavidOaks (talk) 18:37, 6 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It's ridiculous to say that the beanie is an aspect of grunge/snowboarding fashion. It's a knit cap. No one called it a "beanie".

Actually it's a toque or tuque, but yes, not a beanie. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 161.184.52.157 (talk) 02:18, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Source it or delete it. 65.30.180.228 (talk) 22:54, 20 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Really? I mean, really? All these IP addresses coming out of the woodwork clamoring for sources on the article "beanie"? The article should focus on the beanie of 60 years ago. It should also mention that it's now commonly used to refer to a tuque. Given the similarity to toque (a completely different hat) it's no surprise to me that people found another word to use. I"m not even 100% that's the correct word to use for what I'd simply call a knit hat, but it's the most sourced attempt on wikipedia, and following policy of verification over truth I'd stick with that. The true answer lies in the history of the clothing, not the etemology of the words "beanie" or "tuque" but without researching it we won't know. I'm not a hat expert and could't point you to the first person to make one or give it a name. However, I can see this getting nowhere fast and should probably be a minimalist page with the bulk of the debate/discussion on the Tuque page... Lime in the Coconut 16:33, 17 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

A stocking cap is not a beanie. Tbeckett (talk) 21:43, 15 October 2018 (UTC)[reply]

There are so many varieties of knit hats, What about a new section "Types of Beanies" like in this website - https://coolbeaniehats.com/types-of-beanies/ Ifaashp (talk) 02:34, 12 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Speaking for myself, I couldn't really make out the beanie very well from the first picture.

Primary key (talk) 14:23, 3 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It looks like a baseball cap to me. --93.223.26.136 (talk) 13:35, 3 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I'm a bit confused about this line "In Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, the term "beanie" may also be applied to a knit cap known as a tuque." As far as I know, nobody in Canada calls it a beanie and it is only in Canada that it is ever referred to as a tuque. Canking (talk) 10:47, 20 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I've tried to make the article a little more clear by moving the picture to the top, added a hatnote to tuque. Also put tuque on the DAB page. Referring to a tuque as a beanie might not be "proper," but it seems pretty common. I also think to put pictures on the DAB page. This is generally against the style guide but I think would help a lot in this case, since they're both types of hats. Thoughts?LRT24 (talk) 09:21, 10 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The article does not mention the origin of this significant version, just the geek adaptation of it. There are so many anecdotes that I suggest the normal history should be easy to find and should be inserted before the geek reference.--John Bessa (talk) 15:19, 16 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

You're more than welcome to do the research and add the information. Thanks! Qwyrxian (talk) 22:21, 16 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

True, the article should explain what it is, what is its purpose and usage, what is its origin. Right now the only info is what it has become associated with. Syced (talk) 16:27, 9 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]

That's boring, someone else should just put it there. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.89.71.42 (talk) 13:35, 14 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Well, information in Wikipedia needs to be verified by reliable sources, so what you ask cannot be done. Qwyrxian (talk) 14:04, 14 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.70.84.80 (talk) 23:49, 14 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Attention in regard to omission of VTOL flight and hovering capacity inherent to propeller beanie. Rather a critical point to mention on subject, address promptly. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 45.42.104.187 (talk) 15:42, 7 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

45.42.104.187 man stfu Jorts2jants (talk) 07:02, 22 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]

In my opinion 'Beanie' should redirect to Tuque, not vice versa. In fact, it looks like this page used to be Tuque, given that the word 'tuque' is used 23 times to describe the item in question, and 'beanie' a mere 3 times (and one of them, significantly, as the first instance in 'Other names'). Use the name that the people who most use this article of clothing use to refer to it: tuque. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.70.84.80 (talk) 23:53, 14 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Things are a little weird here. Tuque redirects to Beanie. Beanie (North America) is an independent article from Beanie, but Talk:Beanie has been redirected to Talk:Beanie (North America) (here), which can be very confusing. No idea how things got this way.

I think that the Beanie article should be renamed/moved to Tuque, focus on the knit cap, and also point to the North American variant. Beanie (North America) should focus on the non-knit cap (with or without visor and/or propeller), and also point to the other article. Beanie should go to a disambiguaton page, pointing to both alternatives, as well as any others. Comments? Reify-tech (talk) 00:39, 15 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

The title Beanie (North America) is entirely erroneous. The term is not exclusive to North America — it is used in Australia, for example, and an Australian looking for the article on the beanie would not welcome an article referring to North America in the title. If disambiguation is needed, it should be Beanie (headwear) or similar, not a geographical reference. That said, whether the title should refer to "beanie", "tuque" or some other variation depends on which is most universally common, based on WP:TITLE. —sroc (talk) 03:24, 15 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

That said, Beanie is currently a stub of an article apparently dealing with the same subject matter, so I would support moving the current article to Beanie. —sroc (talk) 03:25, 15 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

At the very least, the article at Beanie must be merged or replaced with this far more advanced article. —sroc (talk) 03:26, 15 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

FYI:

• Google search for toque or touque = About 6,680,000 results
• Google search for beanie = About 32,400,000 results

—sroc (talk) 03:39, 15 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Please read both articles completely. I think they stand well separately without much overlap, and forcing them together will only confuse things further. The real issue is that the names of things are used differently in different regions of the world. What I would like to do is sort out the terminology and present it as clearly as possible, as I propose above. Note that the Talk for both articles is directed here, so it's important to be clear which article you're talking about. Reify-tech (talk) 04:51, 15 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Whoa! Slow down! Somebody put a redirect away from Tuque, completely hiding the original article and making it inaccessible. I have reverted the redirect, so this work isn't lost. This is not about claiming exclusive use of the word "Beanie" by one group or another. It's about reducing confusion by explaining what different usages are, and pointing to the 2 articles that describe the major types of hat that have been called a "beanie". Please do not make abrupt changes without discussing them here. Reify-tech (talk) 11:43, 15 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I'm restating what I propose to do:

I think that the Beanie article's modest content should be redistributed between Tuque and Beanie (North America), as appropriate. Tuque focuses on the knit cap version, and that article should also point to the North American variant. Beanie (North America) should keep its focus on the non-knit cap (with or without visor and/or propeller), and also point to the Tuque article. Beanie should become essentially a disambiguation page, pointing to both alternatives, as well as any other meanings of the word. Reify-tech (talk) 22:12, 15 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for clarifying. I see now that what Americans call a "beanie" (which seems to be like a baseball cap?) is quite different from what Australians for example call a "beanie" (i.e., a tuque).

For the record, I haven't moved/redirected any of these pages, but I did remove the odd redirect from Talk:Beanie to Talk:Beanie (North America) — which, for example, meant being on the Beanie article and clicking on the "Talk" tab and then the "Article" tab ended up on a completely different article!

It should be noted that there is already a disambiguation page at Beanie (disambiguation), so perhaps this needs to be moved to Beanie after the content on that existing page is redistributed appropriately.

My main issues are:

• I don't think the use of the geographical description "North America" is appropriate to disambiguate the title (per WP:NATURAL). The title should be disambiguated by something that relates to the subject matter rather than where the particular term is used. Is this type of "beanie" not found anywhere else in the world? Can a more neutral term be used? I would prefer to see a descriptive title such as Beanie (seamed cap) or a more neutral term such as Skully (cap), but if it is only ever found in North America and this must be used to disambiguate, I think it should be Beanie (North American headwear).

• Is Tuque the best title for that article? Judging by the article and its talk page, this term appears to be primarily Canadian usage, so the title disregards the names used in the rest of the world for this item of clothing. It's called a "beanie" in Australia at least, and no doubt elsewhere, where the word "tuque" is virtually unheard of (other than people from Canada). This is a discussion that needs to be had at Talk:Tuque, but perhaps this is a good opportunity to address these issues at the same time in the interests of clarity and perhaps consistency.

• It is confusing and unhelpful that Beanie (disambiguation) currently opens with: "A beanie is a kind of hat." And then goes on to list: "Beanie (North America), a non-knitted hat with or without a visor." No mention of the article at Tuque at all. How much effort does an Australian looking for the article on a "beanie" (tuque) need to go to before (hopefully) finding the right page. I think this needs to be moved to Beanie and structured along these lines:

Beanie may refer to:

• Beanie (seamed cap), in North American usage, a cap made from cloth joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides
• Beanie, in British and Australian usage, a knitted cap also known as a tuque
• A type of motorcycle helmet

Beanie may also refer to…

Thoughts? —sroc (talk) 16:10, 19 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I suppose what I am proposing, once the content from the current Beanie article is redistributed as User:Reify-tech suggested, is:

• Beanie (North America) → Beanie (seamed cap) or some other similarly neutral name
• Tuque → Knit hat
• Knit cap (currently redirects to Beanie) → redirect to Knit hat
• Beanie (disambiguation) → Beanie reworked as set out above —sroc (talk) 16:32, 19 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I think that might be reasonable, except with the main knit-cap article at knit cap rather than knit hat. It's very strange to call such a formless thing a "hat". --Trovatore (talk) 16:36, 19 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I'd be happy either way. —sroc (talk) 16:42, 19 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

What you've restated above is more or less what I had in mind. Two separate articles with neutral descriptive titles for two very different hats, and an NPOV disambiguation page for the term "Beanie", pointing to both (as well as other meanings). And mutual cross-reference pointers between the two articles, so that interested readers are aware of the other usage of the term.

I'm happy with changing "North America" to the more descriptive "seamed cap", as you suggest. "Knit cap" is fine with me, as more widely understood than "Tuque", which should redirect to it.

Once its modest content is redistributed, I'm not sure whether Beanie needs to exist in addition to Beanie (disambiguation). If it does persist, it should just describe the different regional usages for the term in a neutral way, and clearly point to the two main articles for content. But this sounds more like a secondary disambiguation page. Reify-tech (talk) 17:54, 19 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

As there are two distinct types of "beanie" and each has its own page, I don't think it's necessary (nor WP policy) to have a separate article at Beanie for "there are two types of beanie" separate from the disambiguation page. The disambiguation page should simply be moved to Beanie with the various possible meanings, and hatnotes on each of the Beanie (seamed cap) and Knit cap articles to point to each other in case someone inadvertently lands on the wrong one.

Reify-tech, as you seem to have good grounding on both types of beanie, and this was initially your genesis, would you like to redistribute the content from the current Beanie page before the pages are moved? I'm sure you'll do the merging process more justice than I would, given my ignorance of the "North American" variety. —sroc (talk) 01:38, 20 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I have copied over whatever seemed usable from Beanie, and made a first cut at sorting out the many different names in a semi-coherent fashion. There are no references for the names, but there never were any to begin with; that can be sorted out after the dust has settled. I also moved the article Beanie (North America) to Beanie (seamed cap) as previously agreed, moved the Talk page in tandem, and fixed up the direct links. A bot is supposed to find and fix any double redirects later. I can't perform the other needed moves, because the target name is already in use. Unless somebody watching here has Admin status, we'll have to compile a list of requested moves, and submit them. In the meantime, we can start work on the Beanie (disambiguation) page. Reify-tech (talk) 21:54, 20 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, Reify-tech! I've updated the Beanie (disambiguation) page. I don't have privileges to move over existing pages either, so I think a request is in order. —sroc (talk) 22:10, 20 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I have requested the following moves:

• Beanie (disambiguation) → Beanie
• Tuque → Knit cap

Remaining work, once the moves are done:

• Fix redirect from Knit hat → Knit cap (after knit cap has moved, to avoid a double-redirect
• Update Beanie disambiguation page to link to Knit cap instead of Tuque

—sroc (talk) 22:21, 20 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds OK to me, except that I think the admin might want to keep the name Beanie (disambiguation) and just delete Beanie. Once the moves are done, we can patch up the links. Reify-tech (talk) 22:32, 20 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Nah, the "(disambiguation)" is only used when there is already an article for the exact title for the "primary use" of a term. Now that the article has been deleted, the disambiguation page has been (rightly) moved to Beanie.

I've also tidied up the links in the disambiguation page and the hatnotes (no pun intended) for Beanie (seamed cap) and Knit cap to better reflect their new homes. Much clearer and neater now. Thanks for all your help! —sroc (talk) 01:41, 21 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I've reworked most of the references to "tuque" to say "knit cap" instead. I didn't purge all references, because it seemed a bit extreme, and I don't want to gratuitously offend any Canadians by completely banishing the word, even from descriptions of the Montreal Canadiens. 8^) Reify-tech (talk) 03:44, 21 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I did see that. You beat me to the big clean-up. Well tempered with the generic "knit cap" throughout and other references to "tuque" (and others) as appropriate. It looks great! —sroc (talk) 11:32, 21 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

People in California refer to knit caps as beanies. Sorry to throw a wrench in the mix for you, but it looks like 'North American usage' is only regional to parts of North America and should be qualified as such. --2601:9:4081:7F06:C5F5:1C0A:1B33:ECEA (talk) 20:01, 29 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

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The Android statue with the beanie is not located at the Googleplex. It is located at a nearby office at 1565 Charleston Ave. In the caption, I suggest "at Googleplex" be changed to "outside a Google office". --Westwind273 (talk) 05:34, 28 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Please be aware that Information Masters is maliciously editing this page and adding false information. I do not know the reasons why, but he has repeatedly now added the red and black comment with a term that has no sourcing, and the most recent version is clearly wrong. He may need to be blocked from editing this page. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.165.224.14 (talk) 02:16, 25 August 2020 (UTC)[reply]

The lively arguments presented here and in related Talk pages about what can be taxonomically classified as a "beanie" have come to dominate the conversation around the topic. Since there seem to still be passionate opposing opinions that don't seem to be working toward a resolution, perhaps the best solution would be to include information about the debate itself in a new article section. Coming into the article blind (i.e. without knowledge on hat nomenclature), I was quite confused by the way the article attempts to describe the various characteristics of a beanie or the various exceptions to the conventional characterization. The information is presented in a way that seems ambiguous and sometimes self-conflicting. I believe the root cause of the confusion is the awkward rhetoric used when attempting to use a formal, encyclopedic writing style to describe a scenario where multiple parties are each asserting their own claims while rejecting others'. Reading about how the naming classification is still contentious among different communities would've saved me a lot of confusion and follow-up research because it would've immediately provided an explanation for the article's awkward ambiguity.

For my two cents: A beanie is characterized by being structureless and form-fitting around the top of the head (i.e. skullcap style) with a size (dimensional area) between a yamaka and a stocking cap. Beanies are not intended to provide insulative warmth (as with stocking caps) and thus do not cover the ears. The most important feature of a beanie is its complete lack of a brim, rigid materials, or any other components that can provide a permanent shape that doesn't deform under the gravitational weight of the hat itself. As a rule of thumb, if you can't take a hat off your head and shove it into your pant pocket without causing creasing, snapping, tearing, or any other permanent damage, then the hat is not a beanie.

Reading this article was the first time in my life I've ever known someone to refer to those propeller-mounted caps as "beanies". Regional variation seems to play a major role, but I've only heard them referred to as "clown caps", "helicopter hats", or sometimes "novelty hats". Nom de vileplume (talk) 23:06, 11 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]