Knickers (was: They're as self-centered as we are!)
Joel S. Berson
Berson at ATT.NET
Wed Nov 4 17:35:13 UTC 2009
At 11/4/2009 11:25 AM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>At 11:24 AM -0500 11/4/09, Charles Doyle wrote:
>>Here in America, does "underpants" seem more feminine than
>>"underwear" or "shorts" or "briefs"?
>>
>>--Charlie
>
>"undies" certainly seems to. Maybe "underpants" is more juvenile
>than "underwear", but I don't think it's more feminine, given the
>contrast with "panties". I think "underpants" are also more likely
>to refer to briefs than boxers, while "underwear" covers (as it were)
>both. This is just off the top of my head (or whatever);
Don't you mean "wherever"?
>googling
>would help resolve the issue.
Didn't at some time an unknown how long ago, "briefs" begin to appear
in advertisements for some feminine garment or other? (Time for a B12 pill.)
Joel
------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
More information about the Ads-l
mailing list