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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is there a woman alive who still uses the word 'Panties' ?

159 replies

MILlovesBegonias · 31/07/2019 20:51

& I'm not talking about for little kids. I HATE this word. I confess I'm biased as I had some unfortunate incidents as a kid but really? Panties, it's SO old-fashioned. Yet I saw the word used in signage in Victoria's Secret today. It just gets under my skin. Knickers, pants, kecks, grundies, ANYTHING but panties.... bleurgh...

OP posts:
Eustasiavye · 01/08/2019 14:53

You never hear men's underwear called panties do you.

Hillaria · 01/08/2019 14:56

I think it's rather sexy, and I am definitely not American. I've never heard of 'grundies', though.

MissConductUS · 01/08/2019 15:00

Think it’s a US usage, where “pants” are trousers, “panties” are knickers, and “pantyhose” are tights.

This is exactly correct, with the minor clarification that panties are just the womens garment. The male term is generically underwear, more specifically boxers or briefs depending on the cut.

I admit to being a bit confused when I first joined MN by the use of pants, which to me mean trousers.

AryaStarkWolf · 01/08/2019 15:01

Pants are trousers in Ireland as well as America, Knickers will do just fine

panties gives me the creeps

StarlingsInSummer · 01/08/2019 15:08

"Kecks" and "grundies" are as bad or maybe even worse! Only knickers and pants are acceptable. I'm Northern so pants also means trousers to me - might seem confusing but it's usually clear from context.

StarlingsInSummer · 01/08/2019 15:10

"Skivies" and "gruds" are also vile.

StarlingsInSummer · 01/08/2019 15:13

I think my dislike of "panties" comes from reading Piers Anthony's Xanth novels as a teenager, in which he seemingly because increasingly frankly obsessed by them in a prurient, puerile way. Dirty perve.

StarlingsInSummer · 01/08/2019 15:14

*increasingly became

VeryQuaintIrene · 01/08/2019 15:24

Only just about acceptable in the expression, "pulling up one's big girl panties..."

Treaclepie19 · 01/08/2019 15:28

Panties... makes my skin crawl. As does knickers.
I appreciate I'm weird though and the only one that sounds normal is pants.

AryaStarkWolf · 01/08/2019 15:35

Only just about acceptable in the expression, "pulling up one's big girl panties..."

Ugh I hate that phrase

CarlaJones · 01/08/2019 20:51

Bit weird to claim that anyone who doesn't like the word panties must watch loads of porn. Confused

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 01/08/2019 22:00

Bit weird of people to equate the word with porn which they've done. Why not just dislike the word? It's just a word, possibly as PP has said because of the American pants/panties to differentiate.

And yes, I do think that there are a lot of posters who watch porn and are referencing their dislike of the word from that.

LolaSmiles · 01/08/2019 22:03

Only just about acceptable in the expression, "pulling up one's big girl panties..."
That expression would have pants in it to me as well.

StarlingsInSummer
Now you've said that I wonder if my dislike is a similar thing. I've never heard anyone use the word in person but have seen it in poorly written romance scenes. Even if the whole book is ok, the word grates on me. It sounds so seedy.

alilstressed · 01/08/2019 22:11

I encourage my 5 year old daughter to say panties. Knickers just sounds too grown up to me. People have told me I'm odd. I can live with that.

Leftiefterson · 01/08/2019 22:14

My DP says it 🤢

FiddlesticksAkimbo · 01/08/2019 22:16

I tend to use it. The word knickers is very crude.

Ellie56 · 01/08/2019 22:17

Is there a woman alive who still uses the word 'Panties'

I've never used the word, "Panties". Bleurgh!

FattyPeddledFuriously999 · 01/08/2019 22:18

I hate it, it's used in porn and in general in the USA, young adults are starting to use it again I think because they watch alot of American stuff. If you start a petition I will be happy to sign Grin

GhettoFabulous · 01/08/2019 22:54

May I also through the word "pussy" into the pit of hell that manages to be both pornographic and infantile?

Alislia17 · 02/08/2019 04:47

This reply has been deleted

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MaMaMaMySharona · 02/08/2019 07:58

Knickers is just as bad as panties in my opinion. They’re pants.

QuimReaper · 02/08/2019 08:47

May I also through the word "pussy" into the pit of hell that manages to be both pornographic and infantile?

I agree with this. It's a dilemma which seems to beleaguer women far more than men: we need new euphemisms for erotic (predominantly literary) purposes. For instance, I think "boxers" sounds fine (in an erotic context I mean), but "pants" in the same context just turns it into a Wallace and Gromit sketch. I personally think "knickers" is the best female option, but it's not ideal, and as demonstrated by this thread, some women really detest it. Similarly, words like "cock" are relatively inoffensive without being clinical, but vaginal words swing from extreme one to the other without any middle ground.

Juells · 02/08/2019 08:55

'pussy' seems to be a word only men (like Trump) use. I've never heard a woman say it.

Coffeeandcherrypie · 02/08/2019 09:55

Pussy is a lovely word - but just for cats, not women.

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