Panties, Knickers-or Nothing

Recently read a piece over at Chross's blog about the origin of the word "knickers' from the word Knickerbocker", and how it might have come to mean womens' underpants rather than boys kneelength trousers. However, we are still left with the question of why the term only caught on in Britain, not the USA, where "panties" is used. (And how did panties come to get that name-a diminutive of pants,maybe?)
Speaking of panties, had a couple question why in my story "Bicyle Safety Lesson#2", the husband felt it merited extra smacks for his wife when he found she was not wearing panties under her tight spandex shorts. They felt it was not fair or something.
Well, some people do hold the view that underwear should always be worn no matter what is worn over it. Obviously the husband was one of those.
Not wearing panties,especially in public, is the reason for a spanking in stories. Have written a couple of those myself-"Spanked for Not Wearing Panties" and "Pam Pushes It Too Far."
Not saying its not okay for anyone to go commando in r/l but get caught doing it makes for aneat scne in spanking stories.

I find it more comfortable wearing cycling shorts without underclothes, after all, they have padding in the appropriate places, so they've actually got more cover than ordinary shorts & undies.

Ooooo you little hussy, you

For decades, one of my favorite sex (not spanking) fantasies has been to go out in public (restaurant or shopping or a walk in the park, perhaps) with a woman who's wearing a thin mini-dress, sandals, and nothing more. No jewelry, no underclothes at all. I don't know why the thought of that is so erotic. But it is.

Pants is itself a diminutive - of pantaloons (the French word is still pantalon). Think: they could have been called loons.

Panties may have caught on in America because trousers were more often known there as pants than in Britain. Or it could just be chance. There is probably no logical reason why "lift" in Britain can mean a device for carrying people up or down a building and can't mean that in America, where they call it an elevator even if you're going down in it (should be an abaser?).

When I first heard the word 'lift' in a movie I thought about it for a moment. "What the heck do they mean lift when it goes both up and down?" Then.... Oh wait! We call it an elevator, which means up . . . elevate. So, you're exactly right.

We had a paper in my hometown back in the early 60's called the Knickerbocker News. It had a person standing to the side with a pair of baggy pants on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knickerbockers_%28clothing%29

I always thought 'panties' caught on because many of the men I know begin to pant when seeing them on a nice looking lady. The panting often continued if any of the men got to take those panties off the lady. Now you all have spoiled my definition by saying the word has nothing to do with panting...I think I chose to ignore this update to my education and stay with my old understanding, it is so much more fun.

Ah, but canadianspankee, you can also imagine that "knickers" refers to the objects being nicked (stolen). Newspapers have been known to make headlines with "KNICKER NICKER" in: for example, KNICKER NICKER NICKED (American translation: panty thief arrested).

Knicker Nicker Nicked by Nike in the nick of time after nicking another car with his on his way to the St Nick festival.

Of course that is another meaning, but I thought that just referred to the past generation 'panty raids' that went on in many places of higher education. Once again, the men panting while chasing after a woman's underwear and trying to get them off her, especially if done only without using their hands, all bought on heavy panting. My definition of 'panties' is still much more fun.