# underpants



## stargazer

Hello everyone

I'm looking for a colloquial expression for men's underpants. Any suggestions?
Thanks


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## bibliolept

It depends on the style of underwear; general terms include "skivvies" and "undies."


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## stargazer

Thanks!
The style of the underpants is irrelevant; I'm looking for a slightly derogatory term.


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## Trisia

I like "drawers". I wouldn't say it's derogatory, but it's informal.


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## AngelEyes

Well, there's _tightie-whities_. 

(Writing it made me giggle.)


*AngelEyes*


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## bibliolept

AngelEyes said:


> Well, there's _tightie-whities_.
> 
> (Writing it made me giggle.)
> 
> 
> *AngelEyes*




That applies only to "briefs," strictly speaking, and the conventional spelling is probably "tighty-whities."


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## AngelEyes

There's also the one that preceeded it: _tidey-whiteys_...actually, there are many different spellings.

And stargazer did say that style didn't matter. She wanted to go for the slight slam, I thought. 

No man I know would want his shorts to be called _tightie-whities_. (I'm assuming this.)


*AngelEyes*


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## panjandrum

If you are looking for a BE expression, what you want is Y-fronts.
HERE is an illustration.


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## cuchuflete

From the nineteen sixties, in the US: u-trow, pronounced _you trow _(rhymes with cow).  Short for under trousers, underwear, underpants, shorts, or whatever else you may wish to call them.  It wasn't derogatory, but was slang.


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## nichec

Hmmmmmm.....Whatever happened to "boxer"?


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## cuchuflete

nichec said:


> Hmmmmmm.....Whatever happened to "boxer"?


Nothing.  

It's usually, if not always, plural: boxers.

It is in common use in the U.S.

It is not derogatory, nor is it colloquial.  It is a style of underpants.

WR/WordNet definition:

*boxers* *A  
*_noun_
*1   
*drawers, underdrawers, shorts, *boxers*, boxershorts

_(usually in the plural) underpants worn by men_


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## bibliolept

nichec said:


> Hmmmmmm.....Whatever happened to "boxer"?




That's the problem: the original poster didn't specify which kind of underwear, whether briefs, boxers, long-johns, etc.


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## stargazer

Briefs, boxers, it doesn't matter. I have to translate a Slovenian expression into English, and it can be used for either. I've already checked a couple of dictionaries and thesauruses but so far I haven't found a slightly derogatory word for men's underpants.
Thanks to all of you for posting your suggestions!


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## sdgraham

Well, when the real world can't provide an answer, you might be creative.

How about: 

Crotch huggers
Fart catchers
Wienie warmers

... or maybe a little less deragatory?


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## stargazer

sdgraham said:


> Well, when the real world can't provide an answer, you might be creative.
> 
> How about:
> 
> Crotch huggers
> Fart catchers
> Wienie warmers
> 
> ... or maybe a little less deragatory?



Wow, funny and creative!  Thanks!
Is there a one-word term, too?


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## panjandrum

Where is the target audience?
You need to take this into account if you want to pick a really appropriate term.

Oh, yes, and it would also help if we knew what you are going to say - the sentence where you will use this expression.


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## JamesM

panjandrum said:


> Where is the target audience?
> You need to take this into account if you want to pick a really appropriate term.
> 
> Oh, yes, and it would also help if we knew what you are going to say - the sentence where you will use this expression.


 
You mean... context?  What a novel idea!


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## stargazer

panjandrum said:


> Where is the target audience?
> You need to take this into account if you want to pick a really appropriate term.



Hm, you have a point there. It's going to be in a dictionary, so the best solution would be the closest to the original (one word, colloquial, slightly derogatory; I'm not sure if "derogatory" is the appropriate term here - maybe "low colloquial" is better).
Oh, yes, the context. It's going to be a headword and part of a usage example. The sentence goes something like that:
"he came to the balcony wearing nothing but (...)".
Does it help at all?


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## river

AngelEyes said:


> Well, there's _tightie-whities_.
> 
> (Writing it made me giggle.)
> 
> 
> *AngelEyes*


 
No. It's whitie-tighties.  A tightie-whitie sounds like a frugal causasian.


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## panjandrum

JamesM said:


> You mean... context?  What a novel idea!


Well, you see, if stargazer (from Slovenia) is writing for the UK market then the answer to the question is Y-fronts.  It appears that there is no equivalent universally-understood scornful term for gentlemen's underwear in other parts of the world.


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## liliput

panjandrum said:


> Well, you see, if stargazer (from Slovenia) is writing for the UK market then the answer to the question is Y-fronts. It appears that there is no equivalent universally-understood scornful term for gentlemen's underwear in other parts of the world.


 
But Y-fronts is not a universal term, it only applies to one particular style of pants that hasn't been popular since the 1970s.
The only all-encompassing term I can think of is "pants", unfortunately this may cause confusion as trousers are also sometimes referred to as pants.
EDIT: "Skids" was popular when I was at school, I think it's derived from "skidmarks". I hope I don't have to explain that term.


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## nichec

liliput said:


> But Y-fronts is not a universal term, it only applies to one particular style of pants that hasn't been popular since the 1970s.
> The only all-encompassing term I can think of is "pants", unfortunately this may cause confusion as trousers are also sometimes referred to as pants.


 
Aha! 

Once I was chatting with one of my male friends when I said "I almost never wear pants (trousers), I don't like wearing them." (meaning: I always wear skirts!)

And my friend went "What? Are you kidding? I don't believe you!"


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## bibliolept

I still stand by "undies," though the popularity or recognizability of this term is unclear to me.
The best one so far may be Trisia's suggestion: "drawers."


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## panjandrum

liliput said:


> But Y-fronts is not a universal term, it only applies to one particular style of pants that hasn't been popular since the 1970s.[...]


My apologies liliput.  I assumed, carelessly, that Y-fronts had crossed the generations and would be considered somewhat humorous by all ages across the UK.  
(I should state categorically that in my world Y-fronts were never "popular".)


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## nichec

liliput said:


> EDIT: "Skids" was popular when I was at school, I think it's derived from "skidmarks". I hope I don't have to explain that term.


 
Right, fair enough. So I am supposed to guess or what?


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## liliput

panjandrum said:


> My apologies liliput. I assumed, carelessly, that Y-fronts had crossed the generations and would be considered somewhat humorous by all ages across the UK.
> (I should state categorically that in my world Y-fronts were never "popular".)


 
Y-fronts are still very amusing and well-known, but unfortunately not universal, which is what the original post required.
I agree with bibliolept, "undies" is common, as is "pants". Both are derived from "underpants". "Drawers" strikes me as either old-fashioned or American.



> Right, fair enough. So I am supposed to guess or what?


 
Oh! I hoped I wouldn't have to explain! Skidmarks were originally marks left on the road by the tyres of a car when it brakes suddenly. The term was later applied to unpleasant marks found in underpants (presumably of people with poor personal hygiene).


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## nichec

liliput said:


> Oh! I hoped I wouldn't have to explain! Skidmarks were originally marks left on the road by the tyres of a car when it brakes suddenly. The term was later applied to unpleasant marks found in underpants (presumably of people with poor personal hygiene).


 
Oh, thanks!  (the same as I thought......)

So...You guys don't say "boxers" in BE?


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## waspsmakejam

My suggestions are very British English I'm afraid!

*Chuddies* is an informal, jokey word for underpants.  As in "kiss my chuddies"   Its an Indian English word adopted with great enthusiasm fairly recently.  Its a word a young British man might use when telling his version of this tale down the pub!

My other suggestion is *knickers*.  This is normally the word for the equivalent garment worn by women.  It emphasises the embarassment of the situation, the gentleman's vulnerablity and the lack of clothing (knickers being less substantial than underpants).  

I suspect that neither works in US English.


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## nichec

waspsmakejam said:


> My suggestions are very British English I'm afraid!
> 
> *Chuddies* is an informal, jokey word for underpants. As in "kiss my chuddies"  Its an Indian English word adopted with great enthusiasm fairly recently. Its a word a young British man might use when telling his version of this tale down the pub!
> 
> My other suggestion is *knickers*. This is normally the word for the equivalent garment worn by women. It emphasises the embarassment of the situation, the gentleman's vulnerablity and the lack of clothing (knickers being less substantial than underpants).
> 
> I suspect that neither works in US English.


 
"Knickers" I've heard of, in AE.


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## liliput

nichec said:


> Oh, thanks!  (the same as I thought......)
> 
> So...You guys don't say "boxers" in BE?


 
Yes, boxers are very common, but, like y-fronts, boxers refers to a specific style of underwear.


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## stargazer

Hello and a big thank you to everyone for being so helpful once again!
I copied all the expressions you'd posted, I'll do some more researching, and I'm sure I'll find the appropriate term.

I wish you a nice sunny day and a great weekend!


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## jonmaz

For what it's worth: before becoming a boring old senior, I (without fail) always referred to underpants as _under-dungers _or_ jocks_.


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## stargazer

jonmaz said:


> For what it's worth: before becoming a boring old senior, I (without fail) always referred to underpants as _under-dungers _or_ jocks_.



Thanks!


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## Loob

Brit military slang is "shreddies".

I have no idea why...

Loob


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## stargazer

Loob said:


> Brit military slang is "shreddies".
> 
> I have no idea why...
> 
> Loob



Thanks!


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## AngelEyes

river said:


> No. It's whitie-tighties. A tightie-whitie sounds like a frugal causasian.


 

River,

That's funny. 

But these things have many variations of spelling and word order:

HERE

Maybe it would be easier to just keep it simple and go commando.

*AngelEyes*


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## cycloneviv

"Jocks" and "undies" work best for me, but perhaps they're particularly AusE. It might be a bit weird if you were in the US to say that you were wearing a pair of jocks!


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## elroy

river said:


> No. It's whitie-tighties. A tightie-whitie sounds like a frugal causasian.


 I don't know if you were joking (if you were, good one!), but I've _always_ heard (and, consequently, said) "tightie-whities" - and I've heard this word countless times.  "Whitie-tighties" sounds like the person got the term wrong.


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## bibliolept

Just to be extra clear, though, I think it's safe to say that "tighty-whities" refers to traditional white briefs.


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## edval89

elroy said:


> I don't know if you were joking (if you were, good one!), but I've _always_ heard (and, consequently, said) "tightie-whities" - and I've heard this word countless times.  "Whitie-tighties" sounds like the person got the term wrong.



Isn't it funny, I would say exactly the opposite!


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## mjscott

Tighty whities is the same as bun-hungers. Skivvies are what military personnel call underwear. Undies sounds effeminate if you were to say it in my neck of the woods.


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## cycloneviv

In Australia, "skivvies" are the tops the Wiggles wear, not underpants. In other words, long-sleeved, turtle-neck tops made out of t-shirt-type material.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/cycloneviv/10.jpg


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