To call knickers… knickers?!

I use knickers or pants.

Have American relatives so have heard panties which sounds wrong, but of course is just different usage.

I remember about 10 going with my aunt in America to buy “pantyhose” and thinking it very odd. Panty was a strange word for me and I’d only heard of a garden hose. (sheer tights).

There’s no point getting your knickers in a twist or even your panties in a wad over this. If knickers are good enough for M&S then it’s good enough for the rest of us! https://www.marksandspencer.com/l/lingerie/knickers#intid=gnav_women_core_lingerie_knickers

I say pants but wouldn't think anything if someone wanted to call them knickers.

Pants or light heartedly to my girls, knick knacks.

I call them knickers. Men wear boxers or undies.

But I call tights 'pantyhose' unless they're the thick woolly sort.

To me, pants are soft trousers (jogging pants, sweatpants, yoga pants, pj pants etc)

I call them knickers. Pants are for boys/men.
Unless it's my period pants. I call them period pants.

Pants are what men wear. If someone said pants I would assume a pair of boxer shorts.

Or briefs.

1. Mimsy - rather feeble and prim or affected.

Yes to knickers or pants. Absolutely not to ‘panties’. Bleugh. 🤮

My mum calls them knickers, so I call them knickers. Very occasionally pants 🩲 but mostly knickers. From the word knickerbockers.

To me, knickers seems a little bit old fashioned or else it has the feel of something a little fancier than everyday, so if I'd heard her say "are we children?" I'd have interpreted it to mean "I haven't heard anyone say that since I was little" rather than that it's a word used specifically by children. "Knickers" is all over the place in the media, etc., though, so it seems that she's not heard it even if she and people close to her don't use it.

"Panties" definitely far predates Fox News, going back to the 1850s or so and once upon a time used for both men's and women's garments. See also: pantyhose, pantywaist, and panty liners, which are almost archaic now. But if you're not routinely saying pants instead of trousers, "panties" doesn't really have much point. And even in the US it's kind of associated with pervs.

I'd probably say "underpants" for this whole category, but if referring to a particular pair or style I'd more likely use a more specific term like thongs, bikinis, boy shorts, etc.

I'd be interested to know at what age your knickers transform into pants etc. You must ask your friend OP.

Knickers and Boxers in this house.

I might say underwear, if I’m asking if they have packed it or remembered it for swimming, but then would be saying it generically to cover knickers, boxers, bra’s depending on who I’m asking.

Pants is also a word for trousers, knickers in this house is unisex for knickers or mens briefs.

I don't talk about them much, and am not terribly bothered by 'knickers', but in mixed company might refer to them as underpants to avoid silly innuendo. I'm Irish, so pants=trousers, as in America. Never ever 'panties'.

When I was first dating my American DH, he thought it was absolutely hilarious when I happened to mention 'knickers' to him, once. Apparently it's a very Brit word 😕

I find the word "pants" to be a bit of a comedy word. I'd use it if I was messing about or joking: "I'm going to sit in my pants on the sofa all day" type of thing.

"Panties" makes me cringe, it's a horrible word. It's on a par with my pensioner mum insisting on calling all cats "pussies" which she does without any sense of double entendre.

Knickers is fine. If I'm talking to my DD I might say knick-knacks, just to get her to roll her eyes at me.

I draw the line at calling men's underwear "knickers" - but I have occasionally heard someone do that, usually when they mean men's briefs. Absolutely fucking not.

I'd usually call men's underwear either boxers or just underwear.

Honestly never realised I had so many internalised rules about the words for underwear but apparently I do 😂

My older teen daughter and son call them ‘briefs’ when hanging out the laundry because they are sometimes described like that when sold online. They find the word hilarious.

I sometimes call them that 😂
Although I also sometimes call bottoms (as in bum) derrière (I hope I've spelt that correct) or But-tocks.
I like calling my bra "brasserie" but I say it dramatically as "brazzz-ee-air" 😂
I'm a bit odd 😂😂

We were discussing the M and S probs today at coffee break and one of us said "I hope they don't go bust because where else does anyone buy knickers". We all agree, nobody was bothered or embarrassed including our male colleague

So what do you say that’s less ‘mimsy’?

Same. I even dislike the way the word looks. 😂

Pantaloons ?

I grew up in New Zelaand. Undies is the most common term, knickers 2nd in line, pants sometimes - usually said to little kids running about "with no pants on". Though rare for adults as pants can also refer to trousers - I got in trouble when I first arrived in the UK complimenting my new work colleague on the shade of her new pants!.

Panties is blurggh... I associate it with American crime novels where "the dead woman was found with her panties missing/around her ankles/torn off" etc. Or a creepy man suggesting creepy things to do with 'panties'.

My favourite Kiwi advert in the link - Undies vs Togs Bear in mind "togs" are any form of swimsuit, including budgie smugglers.