weejun

English

Etymology

Originally a brand name, from Norwegian. Introduced in 1934 by Maine bootmaker G. H. Bass.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwiː.d͡ʒən/
• Rhymes: -iːd͡ʒən

Noun

weejun (plural weejuns)

1. (chiefly in the plural) A kind of loafer having a strip of leather across the saddle with a diamond cut-out.
   • 1980 April 19, Cindy Rizzo, Maxine Feldman, “Give Me That Ol' Lesbianism!”, in Gay Community News, page 8:

     15 other women got together and we all wore the dyke outfit of the sixties, which was topsiders or weejun loafers, cordoroy ^[sic] pants, oxford cloth shirts, either a seersucker or a madras jacket, a pinky ring and a Dunhill lighter.

   • 2008, Amy T. Peterson, Valerie Hewitt, Heather Vaughan Lee, The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing through American History, 1900 to the Present, page 279:

     Moccasins or weejuns were new options for casual footwear, along with canvas athletic shoes.