jammies

Jammies is a very informal word for pajamas—the clothes you wear to sleep in.

Terms like jammies, jams, and jam-jams are typically used by children, adults speaking to children, or people using childish words to be silly. A more common synonym for pajamas is p.j.’s, which is informal but not as informal as jammies.

You could say that whatever clothes children change into before going to bed are their jammies. Traditionally, though, the word refers to clothes that were specifically made and sold for sleeping in, typically consisting of soft, loose-fitting pants or shorts and a (sometimes matching) top.

When adults use the word jammies to refer to what they’re wearing, it’s usually to refer to clothes worn for sleeping, but not always. For example, a person might drive to get a cup of coffee in the morning while still in their jammies or a college student might wake up and attend class in their jammies. People sometimes also use the word jammies to refer to the clothes they wear to lounge in, especially before bed, though the terms p.j.’s and pajamas are more likely to be used this way. In all cases, the word is used very informally.

Example: OK, kids, time for bed—go brush your teeth and change into your dinosaur jammies.

The first records of the word jammies in reference to pajamas come from the 1920s—around the same time that the term p.j.’s was becoming more commonly used. The first records of the word pajamas come from the 1800s. It comes from the Hindi pāyjāma, from the Persian pāy, meaning “leg,” and jāma, meaning “garment.” (The word is typically spelled pyjamas by speakers of British English).

Originally, the word pajamas referred to loose-fitting pants worn in parts of Asia, usually made of silk or cotton. It then came to refer to a style of women’s pants, especially ones flared at the bottom, worn as leisurewear. Eventually, the word’s association with loose-fitting clothing resulted in its use as a term for sleepwear. The word jammies is almost always used to refer to sleepwear.

What are some synonyms for jammies?

• jams
• jam-jams
• p.j.’s
• pajamas

What are some words that share a root or word element with jammies? 

• jams
• jam-jams
• pajamas

What are some words that often get used in discussing jammies?

• sleep
• bed
• comfortable
• children
• kids
• dinosaur

The term jammies is typically used in the context of the pajamas worn by children, but adults use the word sometimes to be extra informal.

Look at Little Dude's super cute new jammies from his Umma!! 😍

(cc: @shannonfox they also have these in adult size) pic.twitter.com/slLY1aP0WC

— Amy (@amyjoy331) December 22, 2015

I was going to tell my kids to put their jammies on but I forgot they've been in them since 4:30 pm. Is it bed time yet?

— Kathryn R. Biel (@KRBiel) August 29, 2016

I don't trust people who don't change into their jammies the instant they get home

— p (@paitenpaiten) August 3, 2017

Which of the following words is a synonym of jammies?

A. jams
B. jam-jams
C. p.j.’s
D. all of the above