So lately (as in, the last year) I have seen the word "bespoke" appear on this site and others -- and it appears to have something to do with scenery, or aircraft, but I'm really not sure.

I'd like to think I am not that much of an appleknocker that I haven't heard of this word in all of my years, but...stranger things are possible.  In all of my reading throughout my life, I have never encountered the word "bespoke" until I started seeing it on AVSIM (and a few other fs-related sites) in 2020.

Is the word "bespoke" some new entrant into the English language, or is this some British English as opposed to American English, that I have never been exposed to?

Rhett,

It’s a very old word - it means specially made for a particular person.  Like for example a bespoke suit or a pair of bespoke shoes.  I guess you could say “made to measure”.  
In UK we have bespoke tailors that make suits or jackets.  I’m sure they are in USA too!

As to the use in FS for scenery and aircraft it doesn’t really fit as the product referenced is not a “one off”
For a single person so the word is not being used correctly.

Kev

Edited January 22, 20215 yr by kfd
Spelling

As Kev says, it means specially made for a particular person.

Phil

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bespoke

Nothing new, in the design and advertising industry we've always used the word bespoke for any new artwork production. Sometimes clients wanted perhaps a reprint of some existing artwork, in which case we would pull out either the film and make some new printing plates, or we would if they were still in decent condition use the previously extant printing plates, so it was referred to as a 'repeat'. But if it was a new artwork job, we referred to it as a 'bespoke' job.

The word itself means to speak for something, and in the sense of it being used for new production, it equates to verbally explaining the specifications for something new which you wish someone to produce, i.e. you speak to the person about what you require.

I've read the word in several litterary pieces over the years, both turn of the last century pieces and more modern pieces.  I once heard the word used in a military briefing by a general, though I am Navy and can tell you that any junior officer or officer less senior than a 3 star would likely be rediculed for using the word verbally in any context. It is fairly common for US Military to ridicule fellow members anytime they use a $5 dollar word when a 25 cent word will do.  I once made the mistake of doing this in a ready room (at the time I was by far the most junior person there), I'm pretty sure they would still hammer me for it even though it took place over 30 years ago.

For my part, I'm good with it's use.  Then again, I'm also enjoying this thread, so...   LMAO!

Thanks for the post!

1 hour ago, Mace said:

So lately (as in, the last year) I have seen the word "bespoke" appear on this site and others -- 

You know it’s funny you mention it because I never really saw this word used until a year or two ago. I think it was used in a popular tv show and could explain how the term has gained popularity.

The first time I heard it used I had no idea what it meant either, so I had to look it up and saw that it’s typically used when referring to custom made clothing.

It is ironic however that I started getting my slacks and jackets custom made as far back as the early 2000’s at a tailor in Dallas called Lombardo Custom Apparel. In all the years I’ve been going there never once had the term bespoke be uttered 😂😂.

I have never heard used as something tailor made here in the United States.

I have heard it used as a verb on occasion and I have used it as such, but not often.

"His facial features bespoke of a man who had suffered hard times."

Noel

2 hours ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

Bespoke is used frequently in the "custom" build industry, from RV's to Boat's and even PC's ... for flight simulators bespoke will often refer to custom (aircraft specific) events ... good example here: 

https://www.pollypotsoftware.org.uk/vanillaforums/categories/user-provided-bespoke-events

Cheers, Rob.

Yeah, basically almost anything you have custom made I suppose you’d call it bespoke.

I’d have to agree with @Mace that up until a year or two ago, I rarely, if ever, heard that term used for anything custom made or tailored.

It is a funny word imho as is the other term when people say “pray tell”. Where, pray tell, did you get that bespoke suit? 😂

22 minutes ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

In that case, I must provide my most enthusiastic contrafibularities over the etymology of bespoke. 🙂

Cheers, Rob.

Oh, here we go...  😉

 

 

So I take it from the respondents here, that it IS a British English term and not American.

That would explain it.

I will say now that Noel mentions it...I have heard it used in the archaic context of "...his face bespoke a man of many years and many labors..."

But certainly not in context of tailor-made suits or scenery.  We in America say "That's a tailor-made suit" or "custom-made suit", we never say "thats a bespoke suit", or "that KLAX is bespoke scenery!", at least not in my neck of the woods.

It sort of reminds me how we used to take the mickey sometimes in articles we'd write for the newspapers, deliberately using somewhat archaic terminology just to help pass the time. We'd do things like using the singular trouser to describe clothing, call a truck a pantechnicon, use whilst instead of while, or omnibus instead of bus, etc. Then whenever someone would be proofing the articles we'd stuck these preposterously old-fashioned words into and question it, we'd feign completely deadpan surprise at them querying our usage of what we would claim were perfectly acceptable words which we would say we used all the time.

Sometimes we'd shout out a really stupid archaic and inappropriate word, and everyone who was writing an article would then have to try and fit that word into the piece they were working on. So you'd perhaps be writing a serious article about the expense of funeral costs for the Guardian, or maybe something about legal fees in conveyancing or whatever for the business section, and someone would yell 'trombone!' or 'micturate!' or 'comestibles!' etc. Then you'd really have to start getting creative.

Words go through natural cycles of popularity. Some will get 'overused' particular in the media and then 'vanish' after a while. Same with first names, fashion etc.... But most of then come back after a while.....

I am a German living in Canada for decades and 'Bespoke' popped up in my life about two years ago. A company will send you a package every month, with a subscription, with items that they think are 'bespoke'. From socks to knifes and gadgets, to shaving products etc, you know 'manly things'.... 

The second time I saw this word was in the MSFS USA update, which featured 'Bespoke Airports' on the splash screen. I was quite proud to to be able to know the meaning and even happy that it was used in the content of my favorite hobby 🙂 

Extensive research on my part (Wikipedia) reveals the word is old: The adjective "bespoken" means "ordered, commissioned, arranged for" and is first cited from 1607. But it 'feels' so new!

You never stop learning around these parts.....

On another note my most hated and overused words are:

'stunning'

'one of the most....' (fill in the blank)

'backlash'

'woke'

Enjoying these types of posts, thanks for the entertainment!

 

 

Edited January 23, 20215 yr by Silicus

9 hours ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

In that case, I must provide my most enthusiastic contrafibularities over the etymology of bespoke. 🙂

Cheers, Rob.

Are you a Blackadder fan by any chance Rob?

 

I’m familiar with the term bespoke, but never heard of an appleknocker.

Merriam-Webster gives an interesting example of bespoke in a sentence : 

a young pig in Northern England who was fitted with "bespoke miniature footwear" (custom-made Wellington boots) to help it overcome a phobia of mud.

Having a little time waiting for my bread to finish baking, I did a little search to corroborate this interesting piece of news and found this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/north_yorkshire/7448006.stm

I hope I made your life richer in knowledge.