Haberdasher

Haberdasher

A haberdasher is a person who sells small articles for sewing, such as buttons, ribbons and zippers. ["Oxford English Dictionary", 2nd edition, 1989: "A dealer in small articles appertaining to dress, as thread, tape, ribbons, etc.] In U.S. English, haberdasher is another term for a men's outfitter. ["Collins Dictionary of the English Language" (1979)]

A haberdasher's shop or the items sold therein are called haberdashery.

Obsolete meanings of the term "haberdasher" refer to a "dealer in, or maker of, hats and caps". [OED]

The term may come from the Anglo-French word "hapertas", meaning petty wares, [Collins] or from related words. [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haberdasher%20]

A possibly spurious origination is that it comes from the German sentence, "Ich habe das," = "I have that," in English.Fact|date=September 2008 This alluded to a haberdashery having whatever a gentleman needed to wear.

Saint Louis IX, the King of France 1226–70, is supposedly the patron saint of haberdashers. [ [http://www.catholicculture.org/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2008-08-25 Catholic Culture, St. Louis IX] ] [ [http://www.2heartsnetwork.org/patronsHtoK.htm Patron Saints Index] ]

Notable sometime haberdashers

* Robert Aske - a philanthropist
* Captain James Cook, (R.N., FRS) - 18th century British navigator and explorer, apprenticed to this job in his youth.
* John Graunt - one of the first demographers
* Joseph Merrick, "the Elephant Man", worked as a haberdasher before being a freak show act
* Paavo Nurmi - legendary Finnish distance runner
* Harry S. Truman - the American President (1945-53) [ [http://edit-www.ket.org/tvschedules/episode.php?nola=AMEX++001001 NOVA #1001] ]
* Johnny Carson - of "The Tonight Show"
* Charles Taze Russell - the founder of the Bible Student Movement
* Wayne Knight - actor, most famous role: "Newman" from "Seinfield"
* Christopher Lloyd - actor, e.g. Dr. Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy
* George Newnes - founders of the "Tit-Bits" newspaper (1881) and the popular "The Strand Magazine", of Sherlock Holmes fame

See also

* Draper
* Millinery
* Worshipful Company of Haberdashers

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Haberdasher — Hab er*dash er (h[a^]b [ e]r*d[a^]sh [ e]r), n. [Prob. fr. Icel. hapurtask trumpery, trifles, perh. through French. It is possibly akin to E. haversack, and to Icel. taska trunk, chest, pocket, G. tasche pocket, and the orig. sense was perh.,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • haberdasher — (n.) early 14c., seller of various small articles of trade (late 13c. as a surname), agent noun from Anglo Fr. hapertas small wares, also a kind of fabric, of unknown origin. Sense of dealer in men s wares is 1887 in American English, via… …   Etymology dictionary

  • haberdasher — ► NOUN 1) Brit. a dealer in dressmaking and sewing goods. 2) N. Amer. a dealer in men s clothing. DERIVATIVES haberdashery noun. ORIGIN probably from Old French hapertas, perhaps the name of a fabric …   English terms dictionary

  • haberdasher — [hab′ər dash΄ər, hab′ədash΄ər] n. [ME haberdashere, prob. < Anglo Fr hapertas, kind of cloth] 1. a person whose work or business is selling men s furnishings, such as hats, shirts, neckties, and gloves 2. Brit. a dealer in various small… …   English World dictionary

  • haberdasher — [[t]hæ̱bə(r)dæʃə(r)[/t]] haberdashers 1) N COUNT A haberdasher or a haberdasher s is a shop where small articles for sewing are sold. [BRIT] 2) N COUNT A haberdasher is a shopkeeper who makes and sells men s clothes. [AM] (in BRIT, use tailor) 3) …   English dictionary

  • haberdasher — noun /ˈhæb.ɜː(ɹ)ˌdæʃ.ə(ɹ)/ a) A dealer in ribbons, buttons, thread, needles and similar sewing goods. b) A mens outfitter, usually a mens haberdasher …   Wiktionary

  • haberdasher — [14] No one is too sure what Anglo Norman hapertas meant – perhaps ‘piece of cloth’, perhaps ‘small goods’ – but it is the nearest we can come to the origin of that curious word haberdasher. The theory is that it had an Anglo Norman derivative,… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • haberdasher — [14] No one is too sure what Anglo Norman hapertas meant – perhaps ‘piece of cloth’, perhaps ‘small goods’ – but it is the nearest we can come to the origin of that curious word haberdasher. The theory is that it had an Anglo Norman derivative,… …   Word origins

  • haberdasher — noun Etymology: Middle English haberdassher, from modification of Anglo French hapertas kind of cloth Date: 14th century 1. British a dealer in notions 2. a dealer in men s clothing and accessories …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • haberdasher — /hab euhr dash euhr/, n. 1. a retail dealer in men s furnishings, as shirts, ties, gloves, socks, and hats. 2. Chiefly Brit. a dealer in small wares and notions. [1275 1325; ME haberdasshere, of obscure orig.; cf. AF habredache haberdashery,… …   Universalium

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