Tartan vs. Plaid

[Hamish]

Thank you Matt for being so patient in explaining this. The use of the word 'plaid', when what is really meant is 'tartan', seems to be confined to North America. No one in the UK would refer to tartan as 'plaid', and we (on this side of the pond) tend to smile in amusement when we hear Americans refer to plaid, when it is obvious that they really mean 'tartan'.

Rob (who wears a tartan kilt, but not a plaid)

Rob, you took the very words out of my keyboard!

Like you, I have never heard the tartan referred to as 'plaid' by anyone here in the United Kingdom - never! Unfortunately, I do have to admit that those I have heard use 'plaid' when they mean 'tartan' have, more often than not, been North American brothers whom I should have expected to have known better in that they most frequently are kilt wearers!

Sorry Guys. It might seem that we Brits are ganging-up against you, but we are not. Honestly! It is truly the ways things are.

Thanks are due to Matt and Sav for explaining matters so clearly.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

You'll find here in the US that the average, non-kilt wearing citizen does not even know what tartan is. They use the word "plaid" for it consistantly, and mostly when applied to flannel shirts.

Those that are invovled in Scottish-American activities are more likely to know what a tartan is, but use the term pretty much only to refer to named Scottish clan or district tartans. Often I'll hear a comment (referring to a non-named tartan) such as, "Oh, that's not a real tartan, it's just a plaid."

Obviously, either use of the term plaid is incorrect. But those who actually take the time to learn about tartan traditions quickly learn the true story -- and forums like this are part of the educational process!

Aye,
Matt

[arrogcow]

Just for giggles, I looked up the definitions in Websters (sorry no Funk and Wagnals)

Plaid (n) [Gael. plaide, a blanket or plaid, said to be contr. from peallaid, a sheepskin, from pealle, a skin or hide]
1. a long piece of twilled woolen cloth with a checkered or crossbarred pattern, worn over the shoulders of Scottish highlanders.
2. cloth with a checkered or crossbarred pattern.
3. any pattern of this kind.

Tartan (n) [prob. merging of ME. tirtaine (from OFr. Tiretaine), mixed, fabric and ME. Tartarin, tarlayne (from OFr. tartarin, lit., cloth of Tartary), a rich material from China.
1. woolen cloth with a woven pattern of straight lines of different colors and widths crossing at right angles, worn especially in the Scottish Highlands, whereach each clan had its own pattern.
2. any plaid cloth like this.
3. any tartan pattern.
4. any article made of such a fabric. silk tartan; a silk textile having a tartan pattern.

Tartan (a) consisting of, made from, or resembling tartan; having the pattern of a tartan. tartan velvet; a velvet withe a short map and woven in tartan patterns

Oh and it is also a type of ship in Spanish and Italian.

Granted some of the info above is inaccurate, but it does explain whey people get confused.

Adam