I've confused myself

[TheRedChamber]

Can I humbly suggest 'nowt', as in...

"Hector, you're nowt but a great big tub o' lard."

(Serious answer 'nought but' would translate to 'nothing but', so "Hector, you're naught but a fool" would be correct. I think 'not but' is correct in the example sentence but very Victorian.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Over here we use "overshoes", and Dupont call the headwear "bouffants".

 

[SimonDoom]

On a related topic (same story) I refer to workers in a clean room wearing "booties, bonnets, and lab coats." I can confirm that "booties" is still used for shoe covers, but I haven't found references to hair covers being called "bonnets." It's what we used to call them, but that was a long time ago. Anyone?

In the US, I believe the standard term for a hair covering one would wear in a workplace, for purposes of hair containment and hygiene, would be "hair net." I don't think one would use "bonnet."

 

[Britva415]

very Victorian

or perfectly contemporary, in some places.

 

[Rustyoznail]

In the US, I believe the standard term for a hair covering one would wear in a workplace, for purposes of hair containment and hygiene, would be "hair net." I don't think one would use "bonnet."

I believe a hair net is not sufficient for a clean room. It's more for working around cooking or machinery which could catch long hair.

 

[SimonDoom]

I believe a hair net is not sufficient for a clean room. It's more for working around cooking or machinery which could catch long hair.

Fair point. I think the general term in the USA, then would be "cap," not "bonnet." In a surgery room, for example, people wear surgery caps. I think it would be similar in a scientific laboratory setting. I think of "cap" as a more generic, commonly used term than "bonnet," so I don't think you would go wrong with that.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

On a related topic (same story) I refer to workers in a clean room wearing "booties, bonnets, and lab coats." I can confirm that "booties" is still used for shoe covers, but I haven't found references to hair covers being called "bonnets." It's what we used to call them, but that was a long time ago. Anyone?

I know some people in the semiconductor space. I believe the word you're .looking for is "hood."

 

[StillStunned]

On a related topic (same story) I refer to workers in a clean room wearing "booties, bonnets, and lab coats." I can confirm that "booties" is still used for shoe covers, but I haven't found references to hair covers being called "bonnets." It's what we used to call them, but that was a long time ago. Anyone?

The outfit as a whole is sometimes referred to as a Noddy suit in UK English.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

On a related topic (same story) I refer to workers in a clean room wearing "booties, bonnets, and lab coats." I can confirm that "booties" is still used for shoe covers, but I haven't found references to hair covers being called "bonnets." It's what we used to call them, but that was a long time ago. Anyone?

20 years ago some people called them bonnets but most called them hairnets (basically like a shower cap made of tissue paper, with elastic round the edge). I don't know about modern usage (and this was London), but I'd go with hairnet. Or hat, in dialogue.

Conversely I think only a few Americans said booties then, but now it's a standard term. 'Blue shoes' was also used.

 

[NotWise]

20 years ago some people called them bonnets but most called them hairnets (basically like a shower cap made of tissue paper, with elastic round the edge). I don't know about modern usage (and this was London), but I'd go with hairnet. Or hat, in dialogue.

Conversely I think only a few Americans said booties then, but now it's a standard term. 'Blue shoes' was also used.

My experience is from more than 40 years ago, so yours is at least as relevant as mine.

I decided to go with "bouffant." As Rusty pointed out, that's what the manufacturers call them. It's also alliterative in the same way as "bonnet," so its an easy drop-in fix. Anyone that has to wear them will know what it is. Not sure about other people.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

My experience is from more than 40 years ago, so yours is at least as relevant as mine.

I decided to go with "bouffant." As Rusty pointed out, that's what the manufacturers call them. It's also alliterative in the same way as "bonnet," so its an easy drop-in fix. Anyone that has to wear them will know what it is. Not sure about other people.

Having just looked them up, the commonest terms for UK supply appear to be 'mob cap' and 'hair net', followed by 'surgical cap' and then 'bouffant' used only in the name of a couple brands, but it does seem to be what the makers call the things even if no-one ever says the word.

I suspect 'mob cap' is very British - it implies servant girls even to me.

 

[yowser]

Having just looked them up, the commonest terms for UK supply appear to be 'mob cap' and 'hair net', followed by 'surgical cap' and then 'bouffant' used only in the name of a couple brands, but it does seem to be what the makers call the things even if no-one ever says the word.

I suspect 'mob cap' is very British - it implies servant girls even to me.

Just don't let auto-correct turn it into 'Cervical cap.'

 

[Paul_Chance]

The type of hair covering used in a clean room is still called a "bonnet".