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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that women's knickers are not called pants?

188 replies

Anonimousy · 12/02/2015 17:41

This really annoys me and I can't work out why.

OP posts:
marilyntaylor · 12/02/2015 22:15

I think it must definitely be a regional thing. Knickers for women and girls, underpants or boxers for men and boys, and possibly undies for young children. Pants for me means trousers. I'm from Lancashire too.

rubybleu · 12/02/2015 22:15

I'm from overseas and they are undies. Anecdotally, there was a TV production company called Reg Grundy who produced a lot of prime time TV, and so you would be wearing your Reg Grundies, shortened to grundies.

I tend to say knickers in the UK.

dottygamekeeper · 12/02/2015 22:25

My DH is from North Lincs and he calls his grundies. I call mine knickers. My DS and DD both call theirs pants.

Dowser · 12/02/2015 22:27

Arrrghhhh......hate picky bits.

It's knickers here, or knicks or knickees

Hate the term...I'm on the lav

Or have you seen my brassieres?

DamselNotInHerDress · 12/02/2015 22:30

I thought pantalons meant trousers in French?!
I call mine pants, dp wears boxers.
Dds also wear pants.
Knickers is a bit formal for me!

londonrach · 12/02/2015 22:34

Pants in this house and all my family

NotOnMyWatchOhNo · 12/02/2015 22:34

It's knickers or underwear, obvs.

CocktailQueen · 12/02/2015 22:37

Pants! Or undies! Or boxers for dh. (Scottish, if that makes a difference)

Dh says boxers for him and DS, pants for dd but mine are knickers ;)

Ilovehamabeads · 12/02/2015 22:38

Trousers are pants round here. But I also call underwear pants too. Gets confusing sometimes.

peggyundercrackers · 12/02/2015 22:42

Knickers are ladies pants, pants are men's pants - anyone who uses panties needs shot. other terms I've heard are under crackers, keks, skiddies, clunker klinkers to name but a few.

Duskydawn · 12/02/2015 23:13

I call them knickers, or undies.

You could call them lingerie?

todayiamfat · 12/02/2015 23:22

Knick knacks...surely?!

Ludways · 12/02/2015 23:23

Knickers, pants, grundies or undercrackers, depending on mood.

Never ever panties.

I've never called my trousers pants, despite living in the states for 6 years, it's cringey, makes me think of pale blue nylon elasticated waist trousers on top of girdles.

jasmineramsden · 12/02/2015 23:31

It's undies in this house

merrymouse · 12/02/2015 23:32

Hate knickers. They are either large and nylon with a frill or grey and thick and part of school uniform.

I have pants.

TheCowThatLaughs · 12/02/2015 23:35

Womens' knickers = knickers
Men's' underpants = underpants
Trousers = pants

ANewMein2015 · 12/02/2015 23:38

Where I lve (south coast) I've always called them pants. KNickers would seem a bit silly and panties a bit grim.

Boy pants, girl pants.. they're all pants!

Summerisle1 · 12/02/2015 23:44

I prefer knickers but the word does conjure up visions of an undergarment of the size that one could hide a tea tent in. So pants does just fine. Men, in this house, wear underpants.

Nobody should contemplate wearing panties. Or even admit to knowing that the word exists.

motleymop · 12/02/2015 23:57

Knickers here, or underwear. I agree with a previous poster who said pants is a bit of a harsh word and almost masculine.

I cannot abide calling a purse a purse though, call it my wallet! Purse is far too frilly.

aurorablues · 13/02/2015 00:05

I prefer the term Grundies personally Grin

SoonToBeSix · 13/02/2015 00:07

Yanbu , pants are trousers. Knickers are knickers.

AmyElliotDunne · 13/02/2015 00:39

aurora I told dp I was going to buy some grundies today, he hadn't heard it before, he wasn't excited by the prospect where I suspect 'panties' or knickers might have sounded more alluring?!

I said ok, smalls then. He hadn't heard that one either.

Smalls always makes me think of Kathy Burke doing her "ooh young man!" on Harry Enfield.

I do usually call them pants and dp says pants are for boys and 'corrects' me to 'Knick knocks'!

TrevaronGirl · 13/02/2015 01:48

Men wear pants.

Women wear knickers.

American men wear pants but they are trousers.

American women wear panties but they are knickers.

But a bra is a bra wherever you are! :)

Lovemycatsandkids · 13/02/2015 02:03

Knickers just reminds me of the carry on films.

70s sleeze.

StrangeGlue · 13/02/2015 02:26

Op I think father jack settled this long ago. The correct term is:

Big Womens' Knickers!

My dad calls them smegs (and trousers kegs)...

On a serious note ( Grin ) I use knickers and pants interchangeably. I hate panties! So glad people agree on that front!

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