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.