Re: knickerbockers


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Start New Thread ] [ TarBoard ]

Posted by Robert Hill on 10/15/99 from 129.11.153.35 via proxy proxy2.leeds.ac.uk:

In Reply to: Re: knickerbockers posted by Jeremy Kriewaldt on October 15, 1999 at 11:23:22:

I'm not sure whether readers across the Pond are aware that, whereas
the full word "knickerbockers" is not a current word in Britain for any
current mainstream item of clothing (though all sorts of odd things
appear on the fashion catwalks), "knickers" is standard here for an
item of female underclothing, equivalent to "panties" in the USA.
It's also occasionally applied to the corresponding male garment.
There is a phrase "Don't get your knickers in a twist", meaning
"calm down". It's not a phrase that I or many people I know would use,
but it can be addressed to persons of either gender.

About 1960 when I was briefly interested in football (soccer)
and went to the occasional match, I noticed that the programme booklet,
in describing the teams' colours, would say things like "red shirt,
white knickers". This struck me as odd. It may be the only time I've
seen "knickers" used for outer clothing except in the pages of AR.

Until the present discussion I'd hardly ever encountered
"knickerbockers" in 20th century references other than AR, but there is
(or used to be) an ice cream sundae called a Knickerbocker Glory.




Follow Ups:



Post a Followup

Name:
Eel-Mail:

Existing subject (please edit appropriately) :

Comments:

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

post direct to TarBoard test post first


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TarBoard ]