Much heated discussion has been generated on an Australian news message board of which I am a member concerning what lower-body underwear is called in various countries.
It was conjectured that one member could not be an Australian when he referred to women’s underpants as "panties". Althought this term was sometimes used on products and in advertising rether than the ubiquitous "briefs", it was strongly argued by the Australian women that they NEVER use this term colloquially. Rather they used "knickers" or "undies".
Did the offending poster exhibit his Americanism by using "panties? What do you call them in your neck of the woods?
Oh by the way, I’m an Aussie male, and refer to male underpants as "undies" and the female variety as "knickers". :P
John and Katy,
I was trying to test the validity of ascertaining a person’s nationality by what name they give their underwear. I consider it is a valid sociological question relating to word usage. You have not helped.
Aussies also refer to underpants as "underdaks", from "daks" being any outer legged garment.
Shorts are outer garments in Australia. Underdaks with legs are universally called "boxers".
I would like to know what terms Agora posters ACTUALLY use for these items. "My ****** are none of your business, John_from_Coffs."
For women, I usually call them underwear, or sometimes panties. One in a while undies, but usually in a comic or humorous (or humourous, Down Under) sense.
I don’t remember how the first part of this saying goes, but the last part is:
"But the man who’s a man
Is the man who can smile
When his shorts creep up in a knot."
[quote author=demijohn link=board=omni;num=1054631912;start=0#9 date=06/03/03 at 11:57:29]I know that some guys use the word Skivvies, tho’ I’m not one of them.
My father used that term, so it probably dates from the 1930’s or 1940’s and may be military (or at least Marine Corps or Navy) slang. According to the AHD, Skivvies is a trademark.
The Online Etymology Dictionary has this to say about skivvies
"underwear," 1932, nautical slang, of unknown origin
which confirms my original guess about the Navy/Marine Corps origin and time-frame.
Searching through Yahoo found the Vintage Skivvies site with a history and a store. Their glossary also lists Skivvies as originally a trademark, but doesn’t say who registered it. In their history section, the chapter for the 1940’s shows a brand called Givvies made bay Hanes, "made of bias cut broadcloth that ‘gave’ with every movement." This is an obvious play on "Skivvies," so I think that Hanes probably had that trademark, too. No luck at the Hanes site, though, however I did submit a question to their advertising department.
I must admit that the first time that I saw the Wiggles shirts described as Skivvies, I almost dropped my drawers (yet another aged euphemism for the unmentionables). A different picture came to mind and I wondered how appropriate the information was for the under-five group that enjoys the four Aussies.
As to the words that I normally use for underwear (the generic, which can include tee shirts): boxers, briefs, or athletic supporters, depending on what I am actually using at the time.
[quote author=demijohn link=board=omni;num=1054631912;start=0#9 date=06/03/03 at 11:57:29]I know that some guys use the word Skivvies, tho’ I’m not one of them.
A skivvy to me is a derogatory word to describe a domestic worker such as a cleaner.
The Wiggles are 4 men who sing songs to entertain children, mostly very young children.
They are my grandson’s favorites (he turns 2 this month). We took him to see them "live and on-stage" in Portland earlier this year, but I think he likes them better on the tv.
Well I know all I need to know about the Wiggles now.
but I think he likes them better on the tv.
It’s not surprising. Television is a very hypnotic medium. In a live show even very familiar characters can seem intimidating and larger than life (or is it larger than TV?)
