What do you call toys like this?
By Fleur
@Fleura (34356)
United Kingdom
March 17, 2026 9:53am CST
Following up on my last post, I just wondered what you call this kind of toy?
I would call it a cuddly toy, and in this case specifically, a teddy bear. Teddy bears were first named in honour of Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a captured bear while on a hunting trip, and a toy manufacturer seized on this as a publicity gimmick.
In the UK Ted or Teddy was more often a nickname for Edward, so in many cases such toy bears were named ‘Edward Bear’.
I was confused though when Big One first started nursery, because the staff told us she could bring her teddy. Her favourite cuddly toy was a dog, so we were unsure whether we would have to go and get her a bear instead…Even more confusingly, the word ‘teddy’ is sometimes used to refer to a one-piece item of ladies’ lingerie, surely they didn’t mean that?? Turned out they used the word ‘teddy’ to mean any kind of cuddly toy.
I’ve also heard such toys referred to as ‘stuffed animals’ but to me a stuffed animal is the product of taxidermy and not ideal as a toddler’s toy.
Some people call them ‘cuddlies’; others call them soft toys.
What do you call them?
10 people like this
10 responses
@DaddyEvil (170187)
• United States
10h
They're normally called stuffed animals here and Pretty has many of them. I also have the stuffed elephant that I've talked about before on myLot several years ago. With Pretty's ancient stuffed baby, we call the pair of them babies and they're sitting comfortably on our living room sofa partially covered with a crocheted blanket.
And a "Teddy" can refer to any stuffed animal for children as well as the women's undergarment.
1 person likes this

@wolfgirl569 (131258)
• Marion, Ohio
7h
That is a teddy bear. I call them stuffed toys as a group
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (89255)
• United States
7h
Back when my kids were young we always called them stuffed animals but now it seems that any kind of stuffed toy is a "stuffie"
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118762)
• Anniston, Alabama
13h
Plush toys, however, for me it's a dust collector.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (22509)
•
2h
I used to have names for them all.
Big Ted, he was good.
When I left home my sister took him
When I asked for Big Ted back she said I couldn't have him
So years later when I was very drunk, I told her husband she had cheated on him whilst he was in a coma.
It slipped out












