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merino

English translation: merino undershirt

10:06 Feb 18, 2023
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: merino
Hello everyone,

This is (again) from Naipaul's "In a Free State", the second tale, which takes place in the West Indies I think around the 1960's.
The character/narrator tells about his childhood home, remembering a particular instance, and says:

"My father is upstairs, in merino and drawers, rocking in the gallery, rubbing his hands on his arms. The smoke is not keeping away the mosquitoes up there, but mosquitoes don’t bite him. He is not thinking of anything too much; he is just looking out at the black sky and the sugarcane fields and rocking..."

From the context, considering it is used along with "drawers", one could assume "merino" to be a kind of undershirt, but dictionaries define the word only as the fabric or yarn of the breed of sheep, so I cant't make sure.

Thank you.
vitaminBcomplex
Local time: 17:34
Selected answer:merino undershirt
Explanation:
It relates to merino undershirt, check https://www.simplymerino.com/products/100-merino-wool-unders...

Where drawers relates to underpants, check https://dictionary.langeek.co/en/word/55254?entry=drawers
Selected response from:

Randa ElFeky
Egypt
Local time: 17:34
Grading comment
Thank you Randa
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +1merino undershirt
Randa ElFeky
5Merino wool clothing
Mihaela C N Plamadeala


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Merino wool clothing


Explanation:
It relates to merino wool clothing,see link. Drawers are bottoms, long johns - long thermal underwear.


    https://baselayer.co.uk/collections/merino-wool
Mihaela C N Plamadeala
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:34
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in RomanianRomanian
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: You can't say "clothing and drawers". Drawers are clothing.
46 mins
  -> Phil, those are 2 sentences. Merino top and bottoms. Better?
neutral  Tony M: The 'drawers' probably wouldn't be in merino wool — at any rate, it amounts to over-interpretation to suggest they might be.
5 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
merino undershirt


Explanation:
It relates to merino undershirt, check https://www.simplymerino.com/products/100-merino-wool-unders...

Where drawers relates to underpants, check https://dictionary.langeek.co/en/word/55254?entry=drawers


    Reference: http://https://www.simplymerino.com/products/100-merino-wool...
    Reference: http://https://dictionary.langeek.co/en/word/55254?entry=dra...
Randa ElFeky
Egypt
Local time: 17:34
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
Grading comment
Thank you Randa

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Shera Lyn Parpia
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Shera
neutral  Daryo: did you notice in your 1st ref where they sell undershirts that are really made of merino wool? CANADA
2 days 21 hrs
  -> Thanks for your response .. In my 1st ref. I meant that “merino” is relates to merino undershirt so please check also this https://www.sweatershop.com/blog/wear-merino-wool-summer-win... as “merino” can be worn in both hot and cold weather
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