vest versus waistcoat?

[Joseph McLaren]

So......
UK US
Vest Wife-beater

Does it carry the same connotation in the UK?

Not really. Wearing what we call a vest under your shirt is associated with older men and being a bit straight-laced and old-fashioned. Wearing a vest without a shirt is associated a bit with skaters, punks and surfers (depending on physique and context!), but not especially with any social class. wearing a string vest without a shirt is associated with older men on the beach or possibly very disreputable and scruffy older men. Wearing a string vest without a shirt is also fashionable for younger Afro-Carribean men in the UK.

[Tartan Shortbread Jock]

Authentic Scotsman wearing of a vest.

Authentic Scotsman wearing of a waistcoat.

[fluter]

Herewith~ a waistcoat with sleeves:

http://www.old-town.co.uk/products/sleevedwaistcoat.htm

Well done! I was going to say that in the 18th century a waistcoat might have sleeves. Nowadays basically weskit == vest.

And yes, a cookie is a biscuit, but a biscuit is not a scone. To make scones from a biscuit recipe, we add sugar (not too much) and cream. [And sometimes dark chocolate chips]

Tartan Shortbread Jock: Well done on the illustrations!

[Joseph McLaren]

Well done! I was going to say that in the 18th century a waistcoat might have sleeves. Nowadays basically weskit == vest.

And yes, a cookie is a biscuit, but a biscuit is not a scone. To make scones from a biscuit recipe, we add sugar (not too much) and cream. [And sometimes dark chocolate chips]

Tartan Shortbread Jock: Well done on the illustrations!

Over here, an American 'biscuit' would be called a scone. There are several recipes for savoury scones, often with cheese in, or sage, or caraway seeds.

[auld argonian]

I plum forgot that what we call an undershirt (tank top, muscle shirt, dago T, wife beater...lots of US names for the same thing but I still don't understand how that last one ever caught on with its negative connotations) is referred to as a vest over there. I should have remembered because of that paragon of vest wearers, 'Onslow from Keeping Up Appearances. Countless "vest" jokes by Mrs. Bucket on that one...

Best

AA

[Carolina Kiltman]

When I was a wee lad, a vest was an undershirt, w/o sleeves. What my father wore with his suites was a waistcoat. On the other hand, I remember a record with vaudeville songs, one of which had the phrase; "The coat and pants do all the work, but the vest gets all the gravy!" It puzzled me for quite some time, until it was explained to me.

[tulloch]

Thank you all for your informative and entertaining thoughts on the subject. You are very kind.

[Woodsheal]

The English word "vest" derives from the French veste sans manche, or "jacket without sleeves."

[Fougasse]

So......
UK Vest = US Wife-beater

Does it carry the same connotation in the UK?

Don't forget that wonderful old Scots word for an undershirt - Semmit