A bright green tuque

Tuque
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


A tuque (Canadian French: tuque, also spelled toque in English) is a knitted hat, originally usually of wool though now often of synthetic fibers, that is designed to provide warmth in winter. Sometimes considered Canada's national hat, all tuques are tapered and brimless, and they are often topped with pompons.
The word tuque is not etymologically related to the name of the chef's toque, although tuque is usually spelled "toque" (though still pronounced /tuk/) by assimilation. The word is also commonly misspelled "touque".
During the 1837 Patriotes Rebellion a red tuque became a symbol of French-Canadian nationalism, a symbol that was briefly revived by the Front de libération du Québec in the 1970s.
Today some consider tuques to be somewhat lacking in sophistication, though they are indispensable in cold climates. The most famous media characters to sport this kind of hat are the SCTV characters, Bob and Doug McKenzie. Michael Nesmith of The Monkees also wore this hat in his television series. Bill Murray wore this type of hat in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
In the United States, this type of hat is usually referred to as a knit hat or knit cap, sock cap or stocking cap, watch cap, and sometimes as a ski hat. In the southern United States, it is sometimes called a toboggan.
A beanie is a similar type of hat, although tuque and beanie can be synonymous in California.
There is also a town known as La Tuque, Quebec, named after a nearby hill that resembles a tuque.