What are 'Blue Duckins'

Subject: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: Jeep man
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 11:47 AM

This term for an item of clothing comes up in a lot of old songs. THE BOLL WEEVIL SONG, THE ARKANSAS BOYS, AND many others by John Hurt, Leadbelly etc.

Will someone tell me what it is. (Bib Overalls?)

Jeep

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 11:52 AM

??

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 11:57 AM

Whatever they are we seem to have a lot of them around here now.

Spaw

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: Les from Hull
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 12:04 PM

Isn't duck a cotton fabric they used for sailors clothes? Better ask Geoff the Cotton Fabric, I suppose!

Les

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: Jeep man
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 12:42 PM

Could be, Les. Sounds reasonable. Jeep

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 01:51 PM

Seem to recall there being something like denim called Duck cloth so could be like overalls
Jane aka Mrs Jeanlikefabric!

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: mousethief
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 02:04 PM

They be trousers.

http://www.wwmerc.com/trousers1.htm

Alex

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 03:26 PM

Alex, thank you for the URL--not for duckins, but for the wide suspenders they carry. I've been looking for wide BRIGHT RED suspenders for a long time, as part of my performing getup.

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: Jeep man
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 04:06 PM

Thanks, Alex.That solves a question that a lot of us were trying to solve. (I'll bet they were cold in the winter)

Jim

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: mousethief
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 04:11 PM

Yeah, but does that woman have a nice butt, or what?

oh, sorry. Decorum.

Ahem.

Alex

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 11:13 AM

UK navy summer/tropical uniform was known as "White ducks" fabric so I assume there could be blue-dyed version?
RtS (" I wanna go home...")

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: Chicken Charlie
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 02:55 PM

Duckin or duck is untweilled linen, later untwilled cotton, a shade finer than canvas. OED says it was used on smaller sails and on sailor's outer garments. OED cites usage from 1640 on and says the trou were much in use c.1800-50.

It's originally a ref. to the material, which could be used for anything, possibly trousers but also smocks. The case would be exactly parallel to "blue denims" by which I think almost everybody would understand trousers/"jeans" though there are denim jackets in this world.

I first heard the word from a fellow history re-eactor who "is" a c.1800 privateer & as such wears white duckin trousers. In the "it's a small world after all" dept., I just within the last week bought Carl Sandburg's version of "Boll Weevil" on a CD from Amazon.com), and heard that word for the second time. I gather that cotton-picking is rough on the hands, & evidently a picker might want clothing that wasn't going to tear easily from snagging on the plants.

Origin is "doeck," Dutch for "linen."

CC

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: Snuffy
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 06:30 PM

Related to German "Tuch"=Cloth

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: mousethief
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 06:46 PM

Das ist ein rotes Tuch fuer mich!

Alex

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: GUEST,Melvinx
Date: 07 Jul 16 - 10:55 AM

Cotton duck, now everyone knows duck tape... Sometimes duct tape same stuff but with glue on it.

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: GUEST,pauperback
Date: 07 Jul 16 - 02:06 PM

Duck tape = Duct tape - folk etymology/propaganda campaign to
promote Bush's Homeland Security farcical duct and cover
B.S., IMO.

Surprised Chuck Norris wasn't in on this one.

Subject: RE: What are 'Blue Duckins'
From: GUEST,KB
Date: 12 Oct 17 - 01:27 PM

From Down in the Holler by Vance Randolph

butternets: brown overalls or work clothes.

duckin's: everyday clothes, including overalls.