Equivalent American word ?

[SexyShel]

Could anyone enlighten me as to the American equivalent of Wellington boots / Welly ?

In the UK someone might say, "put on your wellys if your jumping in puddles." What would someone in the USA say ?

It's for my new story.

Thanks

 

[RejectReality]

Either rubber boots or rain boots, depending upon how hardy they are. Rubber boots typically refers to more of a work boot.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Rubber boots, farmer boots.

 

[HappySpouse]

For kids I call them rain boots. For adults so call them rubber boots.

 

[Sextified]

Could anyone enlighten me as to the American equivalent of Wellington boots / Welly ?

Galoshes = over shoe
Mud Boots = Wellies

"North America - Usually called rubber boots, but sometimes galoshes, mud boots, rain boots, mucking boots, billy boots, or gum-boots, are popular in Canada and the United States, particularly in springtime when melting snows leave wet and muddy ground. "

To me, growing up, galoshes were sort of shoe cover, meant to go over existing shoes to protect them. Always seemed more trouble then they were worth as kids. Trying to take off filthy 'over shoes' always left you more muddy than if you hadn't worn them at all. More of an adult thing, trying to protect good shoes worn at an office or job. But plenty of people used the term Galoshes to mean actual high boots as well as just flimsy awkward covers.

I always thought of Galoshes as a 'city' thing, while Mud Boots were a country staple.

We had proper Mud Boots, heavy indestructible things, meant for bad wet weather when winter just wouldn't give way to spring. Rubber Boots was another term we used, before putting on your "Rubbers" had a much different connotation!

Some people did call them "Waders" or "Wading Boots" and didn't seem to ever mean the "Fishing Pants" I know most people imagine when they hear that term these days.

Hope that helps!

 

[oggbashan]

This thread reminded me that my wellies are too small. They are UK size 12 and I really need UK 14 or preferably 15.

I just looked on eBay. Size 14? about £18. Size 15? £45. I'll do without...

 

[MetaBob]

Could anyone enlighten me as to the American equivalent of Wellington boots / Welly ?

In the UK someone might say, "put on your wellys if your jumping in puddles." What would someone in the USA say ?

It's for my new story.

Thanks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington_boot

I knew them in Alaska as "breakup boots" because spring breakup (when the river starts unfreezing and rapidly becomes a cascade failure of the winter ice) means all of a sudden if you're around that river, extremely cold water can go everywhere especially when an ice dam forms. Look out for flooding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixK5hD7XzgA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwr98FJw4kA

More locally, when a whole winter's worth of snow melts in the day and freezes again over night for several weeks in a row, it's just mud everywhere.

Be aware that many Alaskan expressions are greeted elsewhere in America with a great big "Huh?"

 

[LexxRuthless]

Could anyone enlighten me as to the American equivalent of Wellington boots / Welly ?

In the UK someone might say, "put on your wellys if your jumping in puddles." What would someone in the USA say ?

It's for my new story.

Thanks

WHERE in the USA is significant. Dialectic variants of "rain boots" "rubber boots" "waders" or just "boots" will work most places. WHEN in the USA could be just as significant. Fifty years ago, "rubbers" was still commonly used to refer to rubber boots, rather than condoms. It was the basis of a few jokes when I was a youngster that don't even make sense now.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Note the plural is wellies, not wellys.

Wikipedia's entry on wellies says "Usually called rubber boots, but sometimes galoshes, mud boots, rain boots, mucking boots, billy boots, or gum-boots, are popular in Canada and the United States, particularly in springtime when melting snows leave wet and muddy ground."

Fairly sure my American family say gum-boots but they're more likely to wear hiking boots or waders depending on the local mud to water ratio

 

[davion2308]

American here

American here!

Our kids say "rain boots." I say "rubber boots" for the over-18 crowd.

 

[Jada59]

Could be duck boots too, depending on the style.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've never used the term Wellington Boots or Wellies.

I'd call them rubber boots, or maybe rain boots. If they're designed for use in the snow I'd call them snow boots, I guess.

I haven't owned or worn a pair of these in years. I cannot recall the last time. The Western US is pretty dry in most places, and many people, like me, don't even own anything like these.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

From my childhood(in Chicago) I remember them as just boots and they went on over your shoes. Galoshes were shoe sized and went over the shoes as well.

Any other kind of boot went on the foot without shoes and the only people who wore those, back then, were workmen. I didn't get my first pair of work boots until I was in the boy scouts.

 

[soulhouse]

From my childhood(in Chicago) I remember them as just boots and they went on over your shoes. Galoshes were shoe sized and went over the shoes as well.

Any other kind of boot went on the foot without shoes and the only people who wore those, back then, were workmen. I didn't get my first pair of work boots until I was in the boy scouts.

I can't imagine one could wear Wellingtons over shoes (barring vastly bigger than shoe size), so you must be referring to a different type of boot, I think.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Note the plural is wellies, not wellys.

Wikipedia's entry on wellies says "Usually called rubber boots, but sometimes galoshes, mud boots, rain boots, mucking boots, billy boots, or gum-boots, are popular in Canada and the United States, particularly in springtime when melting snows leave wet and muddy ground."

Fairly sure my American family say gum-boots but they're more likely to wear hiking boots or waders depending on the local mud to water ratio

Wellington boots, defintely wellies or gum-boots; after 23 years married to an Englishman I call them wellies now, but to me, muck-boots are quite different; I wear muck-boots to muck out the stables, but they're the equestrian version and only come up over the ankle, and if I need more protection I wear leather gaiters, so much less hassle than trying to lever off a horseshit-covered rubber boot. My Hunter wellies are knee-high form fitting and I can ride in them with half-chap gaiters if I can't find my riding boots, quite different to my gardening wellies

 

[BelleCanzuto]

I've never used the term Wellington Boots or Wellies.

I'd call them rubber boots, or maybe rain boots. If they're designed for use in the snow I'd call them snow boots, I guess.

I haven't owned or worn a pair of these in years. I cannot recall the last time. The Western US is pretty dry in most places, and many people, like me, don't even own anything like these.

I spent a few years in Wales as a k8d. So, though I don't call them wellies now, I know what wellies are.

I concur with the votes for "rain boots". Rubber boots would work too, but I've always thought of them as rain boots.

Waders (to me) are taller. I guess there are other heights, but I always think of "hip waders".
Snow boot (to me) are different, much thicker insulation, and much deeper treads.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Here you go - Walmart - the definitive reference - rubber boots / rain boots

As opposed to the more manly "snow boots"

The women's versions are a little more fashionable, on the whole..... if one can say anything from Walmart is fashionable, of course, but hey, cheap LOL

 

[SexyShel]

Thanks, the picture solves it for me. Rainboots it is !

Also thanks to everyone else that replied.


I just hope the phrase "A fanny (vagina) like a welly top" which is a common derogatory UK saying will sound OK when it's written as "A fanny like a rainboot top."

 

[ElectricBlue]

I just hope the phrase "A fanny (vagina) like a welly top" which is a common derogatory UK saying will sound OK when it's written as "A fanny like a rainboot top."

Probably not. You're mixing unalike country euphemisms, and you're going to confuse both Brits and Yanks - and Australians will just say wtf? Because we have gumboots. I'd go looking for another analogy.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Thing is, there's all kinds of rainboots depending on local climate.

More problematic would be that Americans use the word fanny to mean bum. As in fanny pack (bum bag). Not a real problem in the phrase "stick it up your fanny" (it's metaphorical so the hole doesn't really matter), but that phrase would confuse, for sure.

Now if you ask for some expressions for a stretched gaping pussy, I'm sure our American friends here will oblige.

What about "her pussy was as open as the hems of Donny Osmond's flares"?

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Thing is, there's all kinds of rainboots depending on local climate.

More problematic would be that Americans use the word fanny to mean bum. As in fanny pack (bum bag). Not a real problem in the phrase "stick it up your fanny" (it's metaphorical so the hole doesn't really matter), but that phrase would confuse, for sure.

Now if you ask for some expressions for a stretched gaping pussy, I'm sure our American friends here will oblige.

What about "her pussy was as open as the hems of Donny Osmond's flares"?

I quite like "slack as a wizard's sleeve", an unfortunate but visually intriguing husband-ism

 

[jaF0]

Rain boots; softer rubber boots that go on over shoes, usually have buckles.

Rubbers; soft rubber outer liners that fit tightly over shoes. Foldable to fit in a coat pocket.

Fanny; Butt, bum, ass.

Fanny pack; Small carrying case on a belt that sits above the ass. Usually found on tourists who try to look exceptionally stupid.


Wellies; creepy, crawley things that live in or near water wells. (OK, I just made that one up.)

 

[PennameWombat]

Thanks, the picture solves it for me. Rainboots it is !
Also thanks to everyone else that replied.

I just hope the phrase "A fanny (vagina) like a welly top" which is a common derogatory UK saying will sound OK when it's written as "A fanny like a rainboot top."

Nope. Neither the original phrase nor your modified one will mean anything to Americans. An American would never use either, not even an American like me who’s spent much time in the UK and has lived for years in Australia. [Edit: if you’re writing about an American who is in the UK and has picked up some of the lingo, they’d just use the original phrase, since they’d mean it to be understood by the locals. They wouldn’t ‘translate’ wellies to rain boots, if they’d learned what wellies are. If you’re writing about Americans in America, then my original point stands. Unless they’re smart-asses who want to drop a British English phrase they KNOW no one will understand. They again wouldn’t replace welly with rain boot.]

And I once explained to a group of ten American women what “fanny” and “root” meant in Australia while we all sat around in SFO (San Francisco) airport waiting to fly to Sydney (they were part of an equestrian club going for some sort of horse-related event.) It was enjoyable telling those middle-aged women I’d only met that night in the departure lounge what part of their body “fanny” referred to. I explained “root” but resisted asking if any of them planned to find handsome Aussie men to root with. I did tell them to not tell anyone they rooted for sports teams...

So ‘fanny.’ Nope. Another answer already highlights in American English it means ‘bum’ or ‘arse’ (ass) and is actually an almost respectable phrase (in fact, Fanny at least for Americans can be used as a woman’s name, either directly or as a nickname for Frances and some others). And, talking about one “like a rain boot top” won’t parse. Well, an American might eventually work out it more or less means someone has a “saggy (or wrinkly) ass.” Not what you’re aiming at.

I... am having trouble coming up with a direct equivalent. I can, sort of, come up with “she has floppy lips” if you can make clear in context that the “lips” are the lower set... (or put ‘pussy’ or ‘cunt’ right in there (before ‘lips’), depending on how strong the declaration should be. [Edit 2: just came to me... “I could stick both hands up her pussy and I’d have enough room to clap.” But really, I’m not coming up with so succinct an American phrase that nicely matches the British original.]

 

[ElectricBlue]

I... am having trouble coming up with a direct equivalent. I can, sort of, come up with “she has floppy lips” if you can make clear in context that the “lips” are the lower set... (or put ‘pussy’ or ‘cunt’ right in there (before ‘lips’), depending on how strong the declaration should be. [Edit 2: just came to me... “I could stick both hands up her pussy and I’d have enough room to clap.” But really, I’m not coming up with so succinct an American phrase that nicely matches the British original.]

A not so tasteful Oz expression is piss flaps, which leads to the question, "What do mud crabs have?" Answer, mud flaps.

 

[SimonDoom]

I just hope the phrase "A fanny (vagina) like a welly top" which is a common derogatory UK saying will sound OK when it's written as "A fanny like a rainboot top."

No American would ever say that.

For one thing, "fanny" means "ass" or "arse" to an American. No American would ever say "fanny" to mean "vagina."

Plus, I don't have any visual image for "rainboot top." I don't know what that means. I can't picture it.

Even if you said "pussy like a rainboot top" I would have no idea what that means.