“In London, I'll buy a sweater at the shop.”
Usage Entry 1279 / 1350 60-second read
Sweater vs. Jumper
US term for a knitted pullover or cardigan versus UK term for the same.
The comparisoni
“In London, I'll buy a jumper at the shop — UK English calls the knitted pullover a jumper. US English calls it a sweater. (In the US, a "jumper" is a pinafore dress — don't ask for one in menswear.)”
The ruleii
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US: SWEATER. UK: JUMPER.
SWEATER is US English for a knitted pullover or cardigan. JUMPER is UK English for the same item — confusingly, US English "jumper" is a pinafore dress. Buying "a jumper" in the wrong country leads to surprising results.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
UK: jumper = warm. US: sweater = warm.