Knickers

Knickers

In the United Kingdom, Ireland and some 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.

In India, the term is not used exclusively for women's shorts - boys' or men's shorts are also referred to as 'knickers'.Fact|date=August 2008

ee also

* Camiknickers
* Panties


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  • knickers — ► PLURAL NOUN Brit. 1) a woman s or girl s undergarment covering the body from the waist or hips to the top of the thighs and having two holes for the legs. 2) N. Amer. knickerbockers. ● get one s knickers in a twist Cf. ↑get one s knickers in a… …   English terms dictionary

  • knickers — knick ers, n. pl. 1. The name for a style of loose fitting short trousers, gathered in and ending at the knees; smallclothes; called also {knickerbockers}. Syn: breeches, knee breeches, knee pants, knickerbockers. [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5] 2.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • knickers — (n.) short, loose fitting undergarment, now usually for women but not originally so, 1866, shortening of knickerbockers (1859), said to be so called for their resemblance to the trousers of old time Dutchmen in Cruikshank s illustrations for… …   Etymology dictionary

  • knickers — (plural; pronunciamos níkers ) sustantivo masculino 1. Origen: Uruguay. Pantalones bombachos …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • knickers — [nik′ərz] pl.n. [contr. < KNICKERBOCKER] 1. knickerbockers: see KNICKERBOCKER (n. 3) 2. a) Chiefly Brit. a bloomerlike undergarment worn by women or girls b) Brit. panties …   English World dictionary

  • knickers — knickerbockers [ knikɛrbɔkɛrs; nikɶrbɔkɶr ] n. m. pl. • 1884; knicker bockers 1863; mot angl., nom d un héros de W. Irving ♦ Anciennt Culotte de golf, souvent en tweed, portée aussi à la ville. Mod. Culotte utilisée pour le ski de fond, l… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • knickers — [19] The use of the word knickers for ‘women’s underpants’ dates back to the 1880s: a writer in the magazine Queen in 1882 recommended ‘flannel knickers in preference to flannel petticoat’, and Home Chat in 1895 was advertising ‘serge knickers… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • knickers — [19] The use of the word knickers for ‘women’s underpants’ dates back to the 1880s: a writer in the magazine Queen in 1882 recommended ‘flannel knickers in preference to flannel petticoat’, and Home Chat in 1895 was advertising ‘serge knickers… …   Word origins

  • knickers — [[t]nɪ̱kə(r)z[/t]] (The form knicker is used as a modifier.) 1) N PLURAL: also a pair of N Knickers are a piece of underwear worn by women and girls which have holes for the legs and elastic around the waist to hold them up. [BRIT] She bought Ann …   English dictionary

  • knickers — noun (BrE) short underwear for women ⇨ See also ↑panties ADJECTIVE ▪ French ▪ frilly, lacy ▪ skimpy … OF KNICKERS ▪ pair …   Collocations dictionary

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