Neckerchief

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A neckerchief is a piece of cloth, usually a scarf, worn on the neck in similar fashion to a necktie. In unfolded form, it consists of a piece of cloth in the shape of a right triangle, with the hypotenuse about three feet long. When a triangular neckerchief is to be worn, the hypotenuse side is rolled in the direction of the right angle until most of the neckerchief is consumed in the roll, leaving only a small triangle free. Neckerchiefs worn by sailors are shaped like a square, and are folded in half diagonally before rolling, with rolling occurring from the tip of the resulting triangle to its hypotenuse. Either neckerchief is then placed on the wearer's back, under the shirt collar with the ends at the front of the wearer. The rolled ends then pass around the neck until they meet in front of it, where they are secured together, either with a knot, such as a square knot, or with a rubber band or other fastener (called a woggle or neckerchief slide) and allowed to hang.

A generally ceremonial item in uniform, the neckerchief is taught to be a practical wilderness item in the Scouting tradition. The neckerchief, unrolled, is designed to be the perfect size for use as a triangle bandage for first aid.

One organization that makes the neckerchief part of its uniform is the Scouting movement. Another is the United States Navy; solid black neckerchiefs are currently part of the men's and women's service dress uniform for junior enlisted sailors.

[edit] See also

• Bandanna
• Bow tie