Hairdressers

[bobbobley]

why are they so-called? why not haircutters? also why are barbers so-called?

[smudge]

Because hairdressers 'dress' hair. Not everyone has their hair cut, but have a wash & blow dry, permed, or put up for special occasions (weddings etc.,). Barbers mainly do haircuts/shaves etc., & you can find 'The History of the Barber' on the Internet. Hope that helps!

[Quizmonster]

The word 'barber' comes from the Latin 'barba', meaning 'beard'. Thus, a barber was originally someone who trimmed beards. I daresay it seemed logical to go on and work on the rest of the hair on the male head.

One of the original meanings of the word 'dress' was 'to set in order', as in soldiers taking their 'dressing' from the left/right/centre. Hence a 'hairdresser' was someone who 'set hair in order' by one process or another...cutting, washing etc...as Smudge suggested above.