As you know, I'm researching to try to find earlier citations for OED's words. In this I came across a titillating word.

In 1964 the wizards of high couture started a fashion of dresses that revealed the bare (or visible) bosom, and that this fashion spread to bathing wear. What was the bathing suit called? OED coyly speaks of what was concealed rather than what was revealed.

monokini: A one-piece swimming costume, esp. one equivalent to the lower part of a bikini.

So much for the word-related portion of this post. My antedating cite is a German monokini manufacturer who predicted that the fashion would not last, explaining,

"Women who cannot wear them will see to it that those who can won't."

Wow. On a lark, I checked the online OED for trikini, and sure enough...it's there: "Any of various designs of ladies' swimsuit which consist of three main areas of fabric (as pants and a separate covering for each breast)."

A separate covering for each breast? How does that stay up?

P.S. Far be it for me to criticize the OED, but shouldn't it be "various designs of ladies' swimsuits?

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:
trikini ...
A separate covering for each breast? How does that stay up?

With Velcro: "1967 Scottish Daily Mail 7 June 12 Some ingenious fellow has just come up with a Tri-Kini, best described as a handkerchief and two small saucers. The saucers, say the manufacturers, stick on with Velcro, the stuff which fastens at a touch." (OED Online)

Sounds like a g-string and pasties, to me.

Tinman

Then there's the takini for those who are more inhibited and the microkini for those who aren't.

Tinman

Based on the photo in your example, it's not so much a matter of emotional inhibition as physical inhibition. With so much to support, the underneath part is probably functional. In a monikini she's be called "Flopsy!"

I like tankinis . . . but the ones I buy are more like this..

I suppose the amount of support a woman needs isn't just about her size . . . it's also about her level of activity. If you're just going to be lounging around, you don't need much support. If you're actually planning to get wet and swim . . . you might want more.

nerd: Forgive me for being abjectly dense, but how does the term in question bear on the way women think

Hi Dale.

The "women think" matter is German manufacturer's comment (in blue) in my thread-starting post. I admit that only the preceding part of that post is word-related.

tinman reflects: Sounds like a g-string and pasties, to me. Here's OED's first cite for "pastie", from about 1954:

‘Pasties’ - adhesive coverings for breast points - sell at $1.50 a pair and up.

"Breast points"??!?! Talk about your circumlocutions!

Wow, there are a lot of "kini" words.

How many other articles of clothing are named after Pacific atolls? The Bikini Atoll (Pikinni) is a part of the Marshall Islands. I've wondered for a while what the placename bikini meant. Also, apropos another thread, monokini was formed by a re-analysis of bikini composed of bi- 'two' (from Greek); perhaps because it is a two-piece suit.

quote:

How many other articles of clothing are named after Pacific atolls? The Bikini Atoll (Pikinni) is a part of the Marshall Islands.

And why, zmj, was it named after that place? [serving him up a softball]

quote:

monokini was formed by a re-analysis of bikini composed of bi- 'two' (from Greek);

Is there any difference between re-analysis and metanalysis?

And why, zmj, was it named after that place?

Cuz that's where they set of the H-bomb. It was a time of all things atomic.

Is there any difference between re-analysis and metanalysis?

Just a slip of the fingers, shu. It would've been clearer if I wrote: "monokini was formed by a metanalysis of bikini composed of bi- 'two' (from Greek); perhaps because it is a two-piece suit".

quote:

And why, zmj, was it [the bikini] named after that place?
Cuz that's where they set of the H-bomb.

Really? I'd thought it was because the swimsuit, like the island, was a "little nothing at-oll".

That's such a wonderful pun that we should sing Shu's praises with a Chroal Reef!