How do you like my bumbershoot? This quirky little Americanism means umbrella!
The first example of bumbershoot is in Professor Lighter’s Random House Historical Dictionary of the American Languages from 1896. There were some variations around in the early days, such as bumbersol (sol taken from parasol) and bumberell. By the first decade of the twentieth century it had all settled down to bumbershoot.
I wonder why we don't really use this word anymore. (except as the name of a music festival in Seattle) I'm going to start!
umbrella vintage postcard
21 cool cats commented:
Very charmin card. Fashion changes, even about the bumbershoots. Mine is panther.
Random...I have never heardof that one before!
LOL. It's not raining here. Bumber.
Wonderful card ... and a useful piece of information. I never knew that is what the word meant!
bumbershoot would have been a lot harder for Rhianna to make into a catchy song. bumb, bumb, bumb,....ber, ber, ber.... :) xxx ooo
Great card!! be interesting to see how many people or friends ask you the meaning of the word when you do first use it! or if they just give you a strange kinda look!
Incredible! I always thought bumbershoot was English slang and never until today heard that it was an Americanism. Glad to learn another fascinating fact, Marie. We can, however, give 'brolly' to the Brits. (Or can we?)
Oh the next time it rains Im definately going to take my 'bumbershoot' with me. And to the comment by CALIMYRNA MOON, Brolly is definately a British term, we Brits never leave the house without our brollies, but I prefer bumbershoot X
I love the style of colouring on this postcard.
Evelyn in Montreal
I like old-fashioned words like this. I never, ever carry a bumbershoot, though---too cumbersome. I'll take a hat instead.
And all this time I thought bumbershoot was an English expression! I love it.
Hahaha
Raining here today as well..
a good excuse to use my brand new bright red bumbershoot..
Thanks for the giggle and the fantastic photo, you come up with the most unusual, fun vintage things!
Celia
What a funny word! You unearth the most interesting items, Marie :) And we sure could use a few (hundred) bumbershoots on this side of the Atlantic lately --we've had SO much rain.
Adorable postcard, fortunately we have a sunny beautiful day in Luxembourg!
Have a nice Sunday sweet Maire, take care okay!
Léia :)
Love the postcard, marie! And thanks for the lesson on "bumbershoot." :)
It's weird and I can't really figure it, but I grew up in a small, rural, postage stamp-size town in the Midwest and we always called an umbrella a bumbershoot. What's even weirder is the fact that we (my family) were the only people in town who called it that. Let's face it, we're weird.
Looks like rain.
I always wondered where the name "bumbershoot" came from. Now I know! Cute postcard. :)
Bumbershoot. Never heard that one.
What a bummer! Oh shoot! It's raining and I forgot my bumbershoot! Cute card and fun fact!
Great card !
Never heard about Bumbershoot before.
bumbershoot! hm... just what did the bumber part actually mean?
and what about umbrella? both are actually kinda funny words.
Blessings & Aloha!
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