So, I was formally crowned an "old fogey" this weekend. This guy was walking by our car, and I mentioned to my son that his jockey shorts were showing. Well...my son laughed hilariously at me. Apparently NO ONE says jockey shorts anymore; they are tighty whities, which to me sounds like I should have been laughing at him! But then, according to my son, most guys wear boxers anyway.

Is this what you call them?

I've heard "tighty whities" mentioned on US TV but not over here, although they're not a subject I can recall discussing recently.

Generally we call them "jockey shorts" or "jockeys". We often use the brand name "Y-Fronts" generically as well. I don't know about most men, but if it's not TMI, I wear boxers.

I'm a little curious about "tighty whities". Do they only describe white underwear? While perhaps 50 years ago white underpants were almost the only colour on sale, but now there is a great variety, and white is probably in the minority.

I thought the question to former president Bill Clinton was, "Boxers or briefs?" I think of "tighty whities" as being some kind of joke too. I never called them jockey shorts, just briefs. That's what they're called online if you want to order any. Tighty whitey sounds like the perfect candidate for semantic satiation, BTW. Try saying that one about 50 times in a row, fast!

Over in the UK, they used to call them "Y fronts," a fact that I gleaned from watching "Are You Being Served?"

WM

Pants in the UK surely?

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Generally we call them "jockey shorts" or "jockeys".

I just knew I belonged in the UK!

I agree that tighty whities sound really juvenile, but my son says that's what they're sometimes called. However, he sure can be juvenile!

Remember I'm not exactly au fait with youngster's slang, so for all I know the kids call them "tighty whities" over here, too. I've not heard it, and the shops never describe them as that, though.

Maybe that's how he and his friends refer to them, or as TWs or something! It's just really foreign to me!
WM

"tighty whities"

I have heard them called this, mostly on the media and by younger folks than I. I have heard it used jocularly by others in live conversation.

I've heard the "boxers or briefs" question, too.

I can take a pole among the young people I know. They'd all get a kick out of me asking, I'm sure.

I call them briefs. "Tightie Whities" is a slang term.

My son wears boxers. My ex always wore, and probably still does wear briefs.

Other colors of briefs are available, but according to my Ex, those colors are too feminine for him. (eye roll)

By no account is it a problem in the 'hood if one's undergarments are showing! In fact, many of my customers prefer to wear their pants below their buttocks, sometimes belted tight there at their upper thighs, showing their boxers off if their over-sized t-shirts don't cover completely. Some of these same people simply hold up their pants, around the front crotch area, but do not pull them up around their waists. This is called "busting a sag" and is so enculturated that to require them to pull up their pants is considered culturally insensitive.

Likewise, I often see women whose bras are showing under ill-fitting, cut or torn (on purpose) tops. This is the way of the world.

The other day someone on TV quipped "Oh, honey, if your skirt were any shorter we'd be able to see your IUD."

I know the feeling.

I wear briefs, though I've never called them "tighty whiteys". Instead I call them "derricks" since they have to support large loads.

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Originally posted by Proofreader:
I call them "derricks" since they have to support large loads.

I call mine diapers.

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quote:
Originally posted by Proofreader:
I call them "derricks" since they have to support large loads.

I call mine diapers.

Probably same load.

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I can take a pole among the young people I know. They'd all get a kick out of me asking, I'm sure.

I'm not sure as though you should introduce foreigners to your young persons' gatherings

More seriously, there was a fashion here a few years ago for young lads to pull their trousers down as they sat down, thus showing their nether garments to all the surrounding occupants of the area. It is an affectation which seems (thank goodness) to have passed. Young ladies do not seem ever to have shared this particular fashion trend.

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Originally posted by Richard English:
Young ladies do not seem ever to have shared this particular fashion trend.

Sad to say, in the nursery realm, there are always a couple of young tarts who yank their skirts over their heads regularly. Fortunately the phase passes by age 3.5 or so.

CW your post is droll & hilarious, do you have a blog?

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Sad to say, in the nursery realm, there are always a couple of young tarts who yank their skirts over their heads regularly. Fortunately the phase passes by age 3.5 or so.

I've seen that, also! Sometimes accompanied by "Look at my big girl panties!"

I do have a blog, although it's not always humorous. You can find it here.
I also blogged a big family vacation a few years ago, and it's kept here. And I have an occassional video blog I keep with a friend called knitrific. It's beena while since we've posted a vid because we've both been going through break-ups in our lives.

Another interesting observation about tightie whities - they roughly resemble the outline of the state of Ohio.

Just sayin'.

OMG, you're right. Gives a whole new meaning to "beautiful Ohio." And Cincinnati, my home town, is at the corner of Indiana and the right leg hole.

WM

It also explains the curious occasional contents of the Ohio River. I previously thought it was Kentucky's fault.

Weird coincidence.
I didn't think I'd ever heard the phrase before so I didn't have anything to say.
Then this morning I was talking about time travel movies and "The Butterfly Effect" was mentioned. I've seen it before and think it's a very good film (if very, very dark in tone), so I downloaded it and watched and there, right in the middle is the line

"So some pervert had you stripped down to your tighty whities".

I've actually seen it a couple of times but had no recollection of the line. A little ironic given that one of the subjects of the movie is the malleability of memories.

That is a coincidence, Bob!

CW, can't say that I've heard "busting a sag" either. What about the rest of you?

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CW, can't say that I've heard "busting a sag" either. What about the rest of you?

Nope!

Wordmatic

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I can take a pole among the young people I know.

Off topic, but on the Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert mentioned that his new book I'm a Pole and So Can You was number one in the children's books category. More astounding, given that it's about a talking pole, it is number two in non-fiction.