Furriers, cutters, seamstresses who work with outerwear often use gypsy needles in their work. There are many theories about the origin of the name "gypsy" for a large needle with a wide eye.
Household needle
According to one version, the origin of the concept of "gypsy needle" is associated with the fact that they were made by the gypsies themselves, who were engaged in blacksmithing. The steppe gypsies were engaged in handicrafts, and industrial needles for sewing were expensive, so for sewing clothes for sale or making shoes, needles were used, as they say, of their own "home" production. It is no secret that gypsy needles are durable and can be used to sew dense materials such as leather or burlap. For such material, a thick thread is needed, and a thread of wool or even dratva can be threaded into a wide eyelet. This is the first theory.
Multifunctional needle
The next version says that the "gypsy" needle became due to its versatility. With a wide needle, you can patch up things, and fix the harness, and sew up the wound. Therefore, setting off on a journey, the gypsies took on the road only such needles. And among things, even in a haystack, such a needle is difficult to lose. For which she again, without options, became important for the nomads.
Substhetic
The third theory suggests that the gypsies stabbed horses with such a needle when they slowed down, instead of a whip. Accordingly, in order to do this safely, the riders had to either contrive, so as not to "get a hoof" from the animal, or they needed to invent some kind of acupuncture device. Unfortunately, the gypsies do not have any special “acupuncture device”, so this theory about the origin of the name of the needle remains nothing more than a theory.
Status
It is believed that the "gypsy" is nothing more than an indication of the "special status" of the needle (more precisely, its size). Among the phraseological combinations, there are many combinations with the word "gypsy", for example: "gypsy sweat" - chills. And among the argos we meet similar combinations: "gypsy needle" - awl. This interpretation of the epithet reveals the cultural component of the meaning: "gypsy" - unusual, special.
Or, perhaps, the name of the needle gave rise to a phraseological turn: "gypsy life" - unsettled life, uncomfortable atmosphere. The meaning of inaccuracy remains in the "gypsy needle", because its purpose is to work with rough materials.
Fortune telling needle
The latest theory of the origin of the name of the needle tells that the needle was used by gypsies for fortune telling. Curse spells were allegedly imposed on her, for a pittance the fortunetellers gave needles to those who suffered from them, thereby destroying their own spell. Also, a thread was threaded into the thick eye of the needle and, passing it over the image, they collected the necessary information. According to this principle, modern fortune-tellers and clairvoyants work with the "pendulum" device.
