"Panties"

Just a question about "panties". And not the garment , rather the word "Panties". This might be more an American issue but I don't know.
I just watched an episode of Modern family and, when the husband mentions his wife lost her 'panties' she tells him you cannot use that word.
That set me searching on-line. And I found a number of written articles , all American I think, by authors who tell us why they hate the word
Here is just one example
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/worst-word-ever_b_1880906

Not been a woman and not living in America, I just wonder is this 'dislike' of words a real thing? Or is it just made up 'outrage'?
I would love to hear peoples views and if you have every come across this before.

As someone who always regarded 'panties' as a polite alternative to 'knickers' I am amazed that anyone could find it offensive. The linked article also lists some other supposedly offensive words, such as 'moist', 'ointment', 'like' and 'viscous'. I fear some of our American cousins may have lost it completely. I seriously hope this thread can provide some illumination.

There are plenty of legitimate examples that (correctly) cast Americans as entitled idiots...but this issue is not one of them. The article discusses a random phenomenon not unlike why some folks hate certain sounds. I sensed no "outrage" made up or otherwise. As for using a TV show as a guide to American behavior? That would be like characterizing the Irish based on their portrayal in movies. LOL

No, if you really want to see how far we've sunk as a people, just look at our current politics, addiction to social media, and disdain for facts and objective information. If you then use any of THAT as evidence of us losing it......I'll vouch for your accuracy.

Sorry, kdpierre, I wasn't trying to cast Americans as entitled idiots. Sorry if that is how my post seemed.

The comedy program just presented it as a word you shouldn't say. It was knew to me so I search a little on line. The Chicago Tribune also has an article (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2016/07/19/women-have-strong-opinions-on-the-word-pan ties/) where the author states. "my view that the word ‘”panties” sounds leering and creepy"
Other views in the same article are
“‘Panties’ is condescending. … Does everything about women have to be sexualized and diminished?”
“The creepiness of women’s underwear being called panties has grossed me out for years,” writes Carol. M.
“Creepy, demeaning, infantilizing … ick!!!!!!!!!” says Suez.

But glad to hear that it is not really a thing. Because, like BashfulBob, I too have always seen 'panties' as a more polite word than 'knickers'. In addition, I always associate 'knickers' with the underwear your granny might wear. And panties with what you girlfriend would wear.

Anyway, interesting views

It may be that panties is sexualized in a way the gender neutral “underwear” isn’t. In America knickers isn’t even an option it could be an alternative to.

I imagine any word for describing women's underwear will inevitably become sexualised - whether they're smalls, knickers, bloomers, thongs, panties, scanties, undies or something else. Does anyone know what term these people would prefer?

I sometimes try to find period-appropriate terms for women's underthings to use in my stories, but I think coming across an unfamiliar term can break the immersion for some readers. What do you think?

Personally, I don't think you can beat the word "knickers", and I think that is because, for me, it was the name for girls' underwear (in England) from the time that I began to become interested in what was under that underwear, so probably when I was 7 or 8, possibly earlier.

If my interest in knickers developed at that age I would have been thinking about them being worn by girls of the same age.

I kept on calling them knickers as I grew older but probably the association with young girls' underwear continued and of course we shouldn't be thinking about that. I'm not, but I can understand why some might think the use of the word suggest paedo tendencies and why, therefore there may be those who find the word, and (if American) the word "panties" objectionable.

Geoffrey.

Thinking about 'diminished', perhaps there is some similarity with the way the word 'actress' tends to be frowned on nowadays.

In the UK it's quite common for women (like men) to refer to their underwear as 'pants', but that would be confusing in the US! Perhaps they will have to make do with 'shorts' instead.

Is this not just pandering to the woke idiots? Women in the UK certainly do still refer to their underwear as knickers. I heard a woman, in her twenties probably, refer to buying a pair of knickers in the supermarket just last week. I also hear the word panties mentioned on US TV programmes, even quite recently made ones.

I became a big fan of the word panties back in the seventies and await the word being used in TV or movies. One of my favorites is in "Norma Jean." Norma tells her dad; she is going to J. C. Penney's to buy some panties.

Also, in Eight Simple Rules an English imported show. The dad tells his oldest daughter; he can see her sling shot in back." "
It's a thong, dad." He wants her to wear normal panties. "Hello, panty lines." Bridget answers.

"Well panty lines were a big deal in my day back in the seventies."