Tuque

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A tuque (Canadian French: tuque, also spelled toque in English) is a knitted hat, originally usually of wool though now often of synthetic fibres, that is designed to provide warmth in winter. All tuques are tapered, and they often are topped with a pompon. Tuques may have a folded brim, or none, and may be worn tightly fitting the skull or loose on top although the latter is considered more standard. The tuque usually is considered Canada's or Quebec's national winter hat, much like the fur hat is in Russia.

Experts differ on whether the word tuque is etymologically related to the name of the chef's toque, although tuque is often spelled "toque" (though still pronounced /tuk/) by assimilation, or occasionally touque although the latter is not considered a standard spelling by the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.

The tuque is similar to the Phrygian cap and, as such, during the 1837 Patriotes Rebellion a red tuque became a symbol of French-Canadian nationalism. The symbol was revived briefly by the Front de libération du Québec in the 1970s. ^{[citation needed]}

Today some consider tuques to be somewhat lacking in sophistication, though they are indispensable in cold climates, and are worn worldwide in various forms. They have become the common headgear for stereotypical dockworkers and sailors in movies and television. The most famous media characters to sport this kind of hat are the SCTV characters, Bob and Doug McKenzie. Michael Nesmith of The Monkees also wore this hat in his television series. Bill Murray wore this type of hat in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, possibly as a parody of the tuque worn by Jacques Cousteau. The guitarist for the Irish band U2, The Edge, is also known for wearing a tuque while performing, or during interviews.

In the United States, this type of hat is more commonly referred to by other names: knit hat or knit cap, sock cap or stocking cap, watch cap, toboggan, skull cap or sometimes as a ski cap. A beanie is a similar type of hat, and although tuque and beanie can be synonymous in some regions, a beanie is normally more rigid, not made of a knitted yarn, and usually made up of structured panels of felt, twill, or other tightly woven cloth. The lack of a consistent term for the tuque, outside Canada, is a popular source material for Canadian comedians.

There also is a town known as La Tuque, Quebec, named after a nearby hill that resembles a tuque.

[edit] References

• Katherine Barber, editor (2004). The Canadian Oxford Dictionary, second edition. Toronto, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-541816-6. — "Toque" is a main headword, "tuque" considered a variant spelling, "touque" does not appear.
• Merriam-Webster states it derives from toque