In English, we often refer to the item of clothing, the 'top'. Is 'barr' really used in Irish for it? It is on www.focloir.ie, but sounds very literal.

'he was wearing a blue sleeveless top = bhí barr gorm gan mhuinchillí air'.

http://www.focloir.ie/en/dictionary/ei/ ... =ga#top__9

I think this smilie is wearing a blue sleeveless top so couldn't resist adding him to this post! Now that I look closer, his head is his top so I'm not sure that that actually counts.....

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That is way too literal.
I never heard that anywhere before.

I'd say "léine" fits that definition. It doesn't have to be a man's dress shirt to be called léine.

That's what I thought.

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I used to hear it occasionally on "Faisean Paisean," but it always rubbed me the wrong way. As Bríd said...too literal.

Redwolf

When metaphor amd so one is being taken in at that level, then Irish is being made into a joke

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

My mother called the cotton vest she wore as underwear a "léine".

But she wouldn't say 'léine' for her bikini top, would she? Or did she go gan bharr/léine?

bikini top - an leath uachtarach (gon bhiciní)