I did a bit of hi tech research (ya know - Google) and I read that this alternative term only came into being in the eighties - how cool is that.  And ... I found this great site called Anorak and it�s full of geeky info like �Does swimmer�s urine kill German fish?� and �Police stop man for driving whilst radioactive�.  Incredibly interesting for those anorakically inclined.

 

BTW, my elderly Mum still has the complete set of Encyclopedia Brittanica�s that were purchased for the benefit of our secondary education many decades ago.  She still thinks it�s a status symbol - I think it�s just one massive dust collector.

 

Cheers

 

Jayho

 

P.S. Moody Moody - we sometimes use Parka but it is not as common as it used to be.  A windbreaker has a different not-so-polite definition.  We usually say a windproof jacket, but then again, we usually just say jacket and most of the time that means it is rain proof and wind proof if we are talking about a jacket for outdoor activities on wet�n�windy days.