stetson

Where does the word "stetson" come from? It comes from American English Stetson, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Stetson’s story begins in American English: Stetson meant “a hat brand.” John B. Stetson, a New Jersey hatter's son, went west for his health and in 1865 launched the wide-brimmed 'Boss of the Plains' from a Philadelphia workshop. It reached English by 1900s as stetson. Came to mean any cowboy hat; Western film stars of the 1920s such as Tom Mix made it iconic. Today, stetson means a wide-brimmed, high-crowned hat associated with cowboys.

1. Stage 1 · American English · 1865 Stetson "a hat brand", John B. Stetson, a New Jersey hatter's son, went west for his health and in 1865 launched the wide-brimmed 'Boss of the Plains' from a Philadelphia workshop.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s stetson "cowboy hat", came to mean any cowboy hat; Western film stars of the 1920s such as Tom Mix made it iconic.