Talk:Crêpe (textile)

Update
Can someone verify whether crape is still manufactured in all the locations mentioned? I expect not. - PKM 02:38, 15 June 2007 (UTC)
 * Almost certainly not. Also this is the first time I have seen this spelling. Although it does seem to have been in widespread use, I'm fairly sure that most modern references would use the French spelling. Two problems with the direct use of 97 year-old material... Mcewan (talk) 11:26, 11 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Google "definition:crepe" shows more entries than "definition:crape". I've never seen it spelled wth an "a". I can't imagine that many native english speakers who were familiar with the word, would spell it like that. 58.174.242.29 (talk) 15:30, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
 * No, you have to take into account that Crepe is ambiguous; it can also be a food or the craft paper. mathwhiz  29  04:31, 7 November 2008 (UTC)

Coming upon this article by chance, I was forcibly struck by both these issues. All the references to manufacture are to Britain, yet it is very probable that no crêpe is made in the UK today. So far as I can see the manufacture is concentrated in India, Pakistan, China, Turkey, and possibly the Gulf. I doubt that much of it is used for mourning (it is impossible to say never, but I doubt that is women's usual motivation for buying a little black number in crêpe). Secondly the spelling. As pointed out above crape is an unusual form and Chambers English Dictionary (an RS for British English) does not recognise it at all, the Oxford English Dictionary has it as 1. a variant spelling of crêpe (fabric), 2. black silk, formerly used for mourning clothes, or as a singular object, a band of black silk formerly worn round a person’s hat as a sign of mourning. Merriam Webster, which can be trusted for US usage, has it only as a variant spelling for crêpe (fabric) and as a band of crêpe used for mourning. Somebody needs to be bold here and rescue this article, including renaming. The historical usage is important and should be covered, but as pointed out it needs modern sources. I am not capable of doing that, but clothing and fashion are very badly treated in Wikipedia, and this is an example. --AJHingston (talk) 10:19, 4 December 2011 (UTC)

I agree. I'm fairly conversant and familiar with English in reading, writing, puzzles, and games. And webbery. Crepe is the usual spelling -- this is the first time I have ever seen this particular spelling (crape) in all my 50+ years of loving and using the English language. To me, it looks too much like "crap", this is how I know I have never encountered this spelling before. In my opinion this does need to be fixed, but issues with pancakes, redirecting, and disambiguation must be addressed, which requires some degree of wikiskills. As noted in the sidebox and note, this info is 100 years old and could also use a good update drubbing from someone willing to track down the factoids and do the research. Any wikivolgons or wikignomes interested? I haven't the time right now, but I will add it as item #3706 on my projects todo-list. (Estimated deadline around item #3000, so feel free to beat me to it). 75.62.136.54 (talk) 17:33, 14 August 2012 (UTC)