R. Guile

I'm seeing argyle everywhere. When in NYC a few weeks ago, it seemed like everyone was wearing something with an argyle design on it -- baby jackets, women's sweaters, backpacks. We recently got a sizeable donation of books to the LCP, including some with fancy endpapers. They reminded me of, what else, argyle:

Close-up, above.

So what, exactly, constitutes an argyle pattern? The diagonal lines? The diamond pattern? Is it any kind of plaid? I thought the answer would be easy, just a matter of browsing the OED for a definition. But all it has is an entry for Argyll, "a vessel of silver or metal, like a small coffee pot, in which to serve up gravy, so as to keep it hot." Hmmm. Not quite the thing I'm looking for.

There are plenty of Dukes of Argyle (and Argyll), from Scotland. So the name must come from the clan's plaid pattern, right? Here's what the internet has to say:
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Main Entry: ar·gyle
Variant(s): also ar·gyll /'är-"gI(-&)l, är-'/
Function: noun
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: Argyle, Argyll, branch of the Scottish clan of Campbell, from whose tartan the design was adapted
: a geometric knitting pattern of varicolored diamonds in solid and outline shapes on a single background color ; also : a sock knit in this pattern
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So the design has to have diamonds? How far can you take an argyle pattern before it's no longer argyle? Or just enough but barely argyle? It's a philosophical question but also, possibly, a challenge for our next socks. Anyone?? (WW)