toque

A tuque (Canadian French: tuque, sometimes also spelled toque or touque in English) is a knitted hat, originally of wool though now often of synthetic fibers, that is designed to provide warmth in winter. All tuques are tapered, they sometimes have ear-flaps, and may be topped with a pom-pon. (This style of tuque is often referred to as a sherpa). Tuques may have a folded brim, or none, and may be worn tightly fitting the skull or loose on top although the latter is considered more standard. The tuque usually is considered Canada’s national winter hat, much like the fur hat is in Russia.

The word is not etymologically related to the name of the chef’s toque, although it is sometimes spelled “toque” instead of “tuque” (still pronounced /tuk/) by assimilation, or occasionally touque although the latter is a common misspelling and not considered a standard spelling by the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.[1][2]

The tuque is similar to the Phrygian cap and, as such, during the 1837 Patriotes Rebellion a red tuque became a symbol of French-Canadian nationalism. The symbol was revived briefly by the Front de libération du Québec in the 1960s. [3]

Tuques are indispensable in cold climates, and are worn worldwide in various forms. They have become the common headgear for stereotypical dockworkers and sailors in movies and television. 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. As did Robert Clothier’s character Relic in the long-running Canadian TV series, The Beachcombers. Bill Murray wore this type of hat in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, possibly as a parody of the tuque worn by Jacques Cousteau. The guitarist for the Irish band U2, The Edge, is also known for wearing a tuque while performing, or during interviews. Canadian Daniel Powter also wore a blue tuque during the music video for Bad Day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuque