Why is it Called a Toboggan?

A friend of mine recently asked, “Why do we use the same word for a knitted hat that they use for sleds up North?” She was, of course, talking about the word toboggan.

It’s a good question. Why do Southerners call knitted hats toboggans? I had to find out. So, down the linguistic rabbit hole, I went.

The word toboggan has roots in Native American languages. The Mi’kmaq and Abenaki tribes used it to describe a type of sled. French settlers in Canada adopted the word in the 1600s, and by the 1800s, it had made its way into American English.

Folks in Northern states bordering Canada began referring to the knitted hats worn during sledding as toboggan caps. Sears & Roebuck picked up the term and started marketing the hats in their catalogs.

In classic Southern fashion, we decided to simplify things. By the 1920s, toboggan had shed the “cap” altogether and become the go-to word for a knitted hat south of the Mason-Dixon line.

And because we’re Southern, we couldn’t stop there. It’s not uncommon to hear it pronounced toe-boggin around here. If you’re feeling extra casual, boggin works just fine. But let’s be clear: under no circumstances would a Southerner call a sled a toboggan. A toboggan belongs on your head—not under your rear end.

So there you have it: one word, two meanings, and a uniquely Southern twist that keeps things interesting.