swanskin n OED ~ 2 'fine thick kind of flannel' (1694-1706 quots for clothing), DAE (1744-1904); W BARNES Dorset Dialect (1886), p. 107 'cloth or flannel ... mainly for the wear of fishermen out in Newfoundland.'
1 Fine, thick, flannel used for articles of clothing.
[1795] 1974 SQUIRE 844 yds. swanskin 10s. 1836 [WIX]2 51 I was glad to procure a pair of 'cuffs,' or mittens, made in this bay, of a kind of thick woollen or swan-skin. 1855 WHITE MS Journal 1 Aug 1 yd swanskin 2/6. 1866 WILSON 214 The cuff is for the hand, made like a mitten, but the substance is a stout, white cloth, called 'swanskin' ... The buskin is for the leg, to keep out the snow ... also made of swanskin. 1914 Cadet Apr. p. 7 Hamburg boots and bluchers were all the go and the swanskin or buskin when worn over the latter made a tidy, warm and comfortable footwear, except in wet weather. 1937 DEVINE 65 ... nippers, swanskin or knitted bands around the palms of the hand to avoid being made sore by the chafing of the fishing lines. T 141/68-652 That was a familiar thing to see, Jack, a great roll o' swanskin, double breadth, rolled up high as that table. T 210-65 This swanskin [was] a material made an eight of an inch thick, nearly pure white. Do you know the nature of flannel? Very much that nature; a kind of woolly nature, and very wonderful stuff for the north.
2 In designations of the articles of clothing made from swanskin: swanskin coat, ~ cuff [see CUFF1], ~ drawers, ~ mitt [see Mitt].
T 31-64 In walks a fine-lookin' maid, you know, Uskimaux maid, in through the door, an' she had on a swanskin coat—heavy swanskin, see. 1914 Cadet Apr, p. 7 Swanskin cuffs, with a separate place for the thumb only, were worn on the hands and the headgear in winter was a warm, if awkward-looking cap made of fur. T 185-65 In my father's day, an' even in my day, we used to have what they call swanskin cuffs. You hear talk o' that? Made out 'o swanskin; they'd come up here to your elbow, an' a thumb in 'em. 1914 Cadet Apr, p. 7 Rough clothing was worn in those days including swanskin drawers, moleskin trousers. T 141/68-652 It'd be swanskin drawers, then, an' red flannel shirts. All your clothes was made out o' swanskin. 1959 Daily News 13 Feb, p. 20 One longs for a pair of those 'swanskin' gauntlet mitts that travellers wore in winter on the coast. T 172/3-65 I don't know whether you've ever seen that or not, swanskin? Material, very heavy. I've had swanskin mitts made, goin' to the ice, when I was first goin' [as a] boy.
