Knickers

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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into panties. (Discuss)

For clothing worn by men and boys, see knickerbockers (clothing). For other uses, see knickerbocker.

In the United Kingdom, Ireland and some fellow Commonwealth nations, knickers is a a word for women's undergarments: "Don't get your knickers in a twist" (i.e. "don't get all hot under the collar," or, in US usage "don't get your panties in a bunch." Australian usage "don't get your knickers in a knot"). George Cruikshank, whose illustrations are classic icons for Charles Dickens' works, also did the illustrations for Washington Irving's droll History of New York (published in 1809) when it was published in London. He showed the old-time Knickerbockers, Irving's fictitious Dutch colonial family, in their loose knee-length Dutch breeches. Consequently, by 1859 relatively short loose ladies' undergarments, a kind of abbreviated version of pantalettes or pantaloons, were knwon as "knickers" in England. After World War I, very loose ladies' knickers were also sometimes called "taxi treats," as in when the cabdriver was asked to take the long way round the park.

There are now many names for the undergarments that previously have been called knickers, such as panties, thongs, g-strings, briefs, shorts, tangas, etc.