Knickers

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For clothing worn by men and boys also sometimes called "knickers", see knickerbockers (clothing). For other uses, see knickerbocker.
Women's undergarments
Women's undergarments

In the United Kingdom, Ireland and some fellow Commonwealth nations, knickers is a word for women's undergarments. 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 known as "knickers" in England.

In Australian and British usage the term is often used in the expressions "Don't get your knickers in a twist" and "Don't get your knickers in a knot". In U.S. usage, its equivalent is "don't get your panties in a bunch."

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

Note that while the term 'knickers' refers almost exclusively to women's underwear, 'knicks', knick-knacks' and similar more masculine variations are acceptable monikers for men's underwear, particularly for young boys.

[edit] See also