Boxer shorts.

[Mark Odegard]

I did do a cursory search of the archives to see if anything had been said
on this.

M-W gives 1944. I don't have fuller etymological details at hand (no OED).

I see in C.D. Buck (A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal IE
Languages), at 6.48 'Trousers', in para 4:

-start quote-
Dan. buxer, Sw. byxor (pl), fr. MLG buxe, boxe, contracted from *buck-hose,
i.e., 'trousers of buckskin'
-end quote-

This is tantalizing.

I've always assumed boxer shorts are named after boxing shorts, but am now
quite curious.

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