Plush plushies

Once a plushie, always a plushie – has anyone any idea what I’m talking about!

Well for those who have not come across the term – plush or plushie – the simple answer is a cuddly soft toy. Here at Be My Bear we’ve been puzzled by the extensive use of the word to describe super soft, cuddlies – is it an Americanism which we’ve recently adopted, because that’s what we tend to do months or years after the trend emerges across the pond. Or is it a term that’s been coined by industry and gradually adopted into common parlance.

The word plush actually derives from the French word pelucher – to become fluffy – and has come to mean a fabric which has a thick deep pile, very often used to describe expensive carpets and in turn an affluent, lavish lifestyle which only the wealthy can afford.

The Cambridge dictionary definition is thick soft cloth with a surface like short fur used especially for covering furniture or making toys for children – so the term plush does have a manufacturing provenance and I guess adding an ie to the word to create the new noun plushie does make it sound as if it’s a cuter or cuddlier toy, as long as you know the original definition!

Build-A-Bear workshop refers to plush toys of any colour, shape and size on their website. They suggest their customers choose from a range of make-your very own plush toys. But not a reference anywhere to plushie.

Steiff Bears make no mention of either plushies or plush on their marketing blurb, instead referring to soft cuddly friends. The collection of Steiff Bears which are classified as Classic Bears, Cosy Bears and Limited Edition Bears only use the word plush as an adjective in the description of the fabric used to make the bear.

Merrythought Bears which are made by a British company in the UK adopt the word to describe the premium materials they use to create their teddy bears. The fabric tends to be mohair or alpaca plush but they also use wool, felt and cotton in their construction which is not defined as plush or plushie although the end result is certainly very cuddly.

So there for those who didn’t know is your guide to plushies, plush , and cuddlies sometimes also known as softies. But rest assured, however you describe them our bears and animals are the super softest, most cuddly toys you could ever wish for – and most are made using green eco-friendly fabrics, made from recycled plastic bottles. Perhaps we should come up with a new word for them – how about lushies ? Now there’s a thought …..

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