Boggan

In Southern and Appalachian speech, boggan means a knit winter cap, often the shortened form of "toboggan." Outside the region, "toboggan" usually means a sled, but in the South it refers to the warm hat you pull down over your ears.

#SouthernWords #Appalachia #Southern

synonyms: beanie, watch cap, knit hat

Hillbilly Dude Says...

We exclusively called it a 'boggan' (or sometimes 'toboggan') growin' up - never a 'knit winter hat.' Nobody ever meant a sled. We still call 'em 'boggans' around here.

Hillbilly Dude Says...

We exclusively called it a 'boggan' (or sometimes 'toboggan') growin' up - never a 'knit winter hat.' Nobody ever meant a sled. We still call 'em 'boggans' around here.

Pronunciation

[BAH-gən]
/ˈbɑgən/

Meaning & Usage

- Knit winter cap (noun)

Mae:

It’s turnin’ cold - grab your boggan.

Earl:

Already got it pulled down over my ears.

Ruby:

He left his toboggan at church again.

Estel:

Good thing I stitched his name inside.

variations: boggin, toboggan, knit cap, winter hat, stocking cap

★ If someone in the South says "bring your toboggan," they’re talking about your hat - not a sled. Visitors from up north get tripped up by this one all the time. ★

Origin and Etymology

The Southern and Appalachian use of "toboggan" for a knit hat likely developed from the long, fur-lined caps worn with cold-weather sledding gear. Over time, the hat itself kept the name, even though the sled meaning remained standard elsewhere. By the 20th century the shortened form "boggan" was well established in the Southeast.

Usage Notes

"Boggan" and "toboggan" (hat sense) remain common across the American South and Appalachia. The meaning is regionally distinct, so outside the region it can cause confusion. The shortened form "boggan" is especially tied to rural and mountain speech.

boggan - most common in Appalachian and rural Southern areas
toboggan - full form, still meaning "winter hat" in the South
The sled meaning rarely appears in the region without clarification

Say It Like a Southerner

Say it quick and soft: "BAH-gun." Some speakers keep the long form "toboggan," but the mountain version often trims it down to "boggan."

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Does "toboggan" mean a sled in the South?

Not usually. In Southern and Appalachian English, it most often means a knit winter hat.

Is "boggan" just short for "toboggan"?

Yes - "boggan" is the clipped regional form, but both refer to the same type of hat.

Do people outside the South understand this meaning?

Many don’t. In most of the U.S., "toboggan" means a sled, so the hat meaning can confuse newcomers.

Is this still used today?

Absolutely. "Boggan" and "toboggan" (hat sense) are still everyday winter words across the South.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 16). Boggan. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/boggan
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Boggan." HillbillySlang.com, 16 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/boggan.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Boggan." HillbillySlang.com. November 16, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/boggan.

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