To call knickers… knickers?!

[Elroq]

Ridiculous conversation with my friend today. We were out in town shopping and I said I wanted to go into a particular shop to buy some knickers. She gave a little laugh and said ‘Knickers? Are we eight?’ And I was like ‘Huh?’

Apparently she thinks that knickers are what kids call their underwear, whereas adults need to call them other things. I have literally never heard this theory, and was like ‘Well what do you call yours?!’ She tells me that she just says ‘pants’ or ‘underwear’, but to me ‘pants’ are what blokes wear or what Americans call trousers, and ‘underwear’ isn’t specific enough cos there are bras etc which are also underwear. Knickers is a perfectly fine word! She then suggested ‘panties’ which we both agreed made us want to vomit.

i’m pretty sure I made her argument look ridiculous, not least because the shop itself called them knickers. But please tell me that I’ve not been mis-labelling my smalls for the last 25 years??

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 😕

Can we just roll back a second, as I thought ‘mimsy’ was a euphemism for the bits covered up by the knickers/pants/bloomers/pantaloons!!

This is getting a bit meta.

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'.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

1. Mimsy - rather feeble and prim or affected.

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

Or briefs.

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

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)

Pants or light heartedly to my girls, knick knacks.

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

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 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).

RIGHT! I can end this! OP is perfectly right to refer to the unmentionables as knickers! Why?! Because that’s what M&S calls them! 😅

Or briefs

Just coming here to say this after buying some knickers in M&S today!!

I generally say pants but also will say knickers and there’s absolutely no way that’s a child’s word. Knickers is what I search for when shopping online.

Absolutely no to panties though, agreed!
I also detest “briefs” 🤮

Knicks or knickies. Or knickie-boo-boos!

I call them knickers.

Panties makes me think of very large contraptions that I used to see flapping on the washing line next door when I was a child. I was always fascinated about the size of them, especially as the lady next door wasn't particularly large at all.

Pants are what boys/men wear.

Undies is catch-all term that refers to knickers, pants, bras, all-in-ones etc.

I always thought briefs were a type of knicker? Like thong etc?

Or is this opening an even more massive can of worms?!

They are knickers!

I'm from the North East where “pants” are trousers and even my dad’s underwear has always been called knickers