Going commando

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For the video game, see Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando.

Going commando, or free-balling for males and free-buffing for females, is the practice of not wearing underwear.[1]

Some people choose not to wear any underwear for several reasons, including for comfort, to enable their outer garments (particularly those which are form-fitting) to look more flattering, to avoid creating a panty line, or because they do not see any need for them. Some people find not wearing underwear to be sexually exciting, and some people regard knowing that their sex partner is not wearing underwear to be erotic. Not wearing underwear is widely considered to be immodest and socially unacceptable if the crotch area becomes exposed, but can be a part of some sex fantasies and of some pornographic films.

Certain types of clothes, such as cycling shorts and kilts, are designed to be worn or are traditionally worn without underwear. This also applies for most clothes worn as swimwear, sportswear or nightwear.

In Chile, the act of not wearing underwear has been called "andar a lo gringo" (to go gringo-style) for decades.[2]

Earliest uses

The origins of the phrase "go commando" are uncertain, with some speculating that it may refer to being "out in the open" or "ready for action".[3] Slate magazine's Daniel Engber dates the modern usage to USA college campuses circa 1974, where it was perhaps associated with soldiers in the Vietnam War, who were reputed to go without underwear to "increase ventilation and reduce moisture."[4]

The earliest known use of the term in news media[5] occurred on January 22, 1985, when Jim Spencer wrote in the Chicago Tribune, "Furthermore, coloured briefs are 'sleazy' and going without underwear ('going commando', as they say on campus) is simply gross." [6][7]

In fashion

  • During the 2010s, some women have worn formal tight fitting, semi-transparent dresses without underwear to avoid creating a visible panty line or for its stunning effect.[8][9][10]

See also

  • Bralessness

References

  1. ↑ Donald, Graeme (2008), Sticklers, Sideburns and Bikinis: The military origins of everyday words and phrases, Osprey Publishing, p. 94, ISBN 9781846033001, retrieved October 19, 2012 
  2. ↑ Brennan, John; Taboada, Alvaro. How to Survive the Chilean Jungle (2nd ed.). Santiago, CL: Dolmen Ediciones. 
  3. ↑ Gisesa, Nyambega (16 April 2012). "When a little goes a long way to ruin your reputation". Zuqka. Nairobi: Nation Media Group. Retrieved 17 September 2013. "It's during the Vietnamese war, that the earliest cases of going without underwear were recorded. It meant ... being "out in the open" or "ready for action"." 
  4. ↑ Engber, Daniel (January 10, 2005). "Do Commandos Go Commando?". Slate. Retrieved 2006-12-23. 
  5. ↑ Barron, Greg Groundrush p. 29 (1982) (1982 novel uses the term - "Bigfoot's jock snapped underneath, leaving him to 'go commando.")
  6. ↑ Heller, Jason; Koski, Genevieve; Murray, Noel; O'Neal, Sean; Pierce, Leonard; Tobias, Scott; VanDerWerff, Todd; Zulkey, Claire (June 21, 2010). "TV in a bottle: 19 great TV episodes largely confined to one location". AV Club. Retrieved June 21, 2010. "[T]he episode also introduced the term 'going commando' into the popular vernacular." 
  7. ↑ Hendrickson, Eric (27 October 1996). Buzz word 'going commando' gets an airing on 'Friends', Sunday Times-Sentinel (Gallipolis-Pomeroy, Ohio) (copy from The Detroit News)
  8. ↑ Sheer disaster! Stephanie Seymour makes a fashion boob as camera flashes highlight her see-through dress... and lack of underwear
  9. ↑ Kendra Wilkinson
  10. ↑ Nicole Scherzinger
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