# Is the word "panties" offensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 14, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979 "2010-01-14T20:26:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/121 "2010-01-19T17:21:26Z")
I’m not sure Jerry had thought about it that deeply - he just spontaneously said something he thought sounded all taboo and junk, and only in hindsight does he realize how completely absurd it is. ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/122 "2010-01-19T17:42:35Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m not sure Jerry had thought about it that deeply - he just spontaneously said something he thought sounded all taboo and junk, and only in hindsight does he realize how completely absurd it is. Agreed he didn’t think about it. But it is what it is - the reason she left is because she immediately recognized it as an insult, one that would normally be directed towards a man as fighting words, directed towards her in a moment of passion. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/123 "2010-01-19T17:43:20Z")
I just figured she was grossed out by a reference to her mother during foreplay. ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/124 "2010-01-19T18:02:44Z")
That’s part of it sure, but even then it was the awkward way it was raised. If he had said “Your mother raised a very naughty girl” in the right flirty tone of voice indicating he was glad she did, that might have flown. It was the insult he blurted out, when he maybe was trying to sound all suave and say something flirty like what I just mentioned that makes it comedy gold IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/125 "2010-01-20T01:01:47Z")
A friend of mine (female), when commenting if a guy is hot says “wow! panty puddin’!”…always gets a laugh out of me. Now the word “thong”…I always picture a sumo wrestler bent over hitting a big gong. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/126 "2010-01-20T10:14:39Z")
> [@not\_alice](#): > > Perhaps the original concern is because the word itself is in “diminutive” form, and so perhaps childish, or since it is (generally) gender-specific, girlish, and strikes at a woman’s identity as a woman? > [@SkeptiJess](#): > > I’ve known of people who don’t like the word, finding it silly or childish. But offensive? That’s just dumb. This articulates my take on the word. My mom never used the word “panties,”, and I never have either (I had two sons so never had much use for panties in the first place.) Just way too girly for me, I say underpants or underwear instead. However, hearing or seeing the word does not fill me with outraged indignation. I see it used quite a bit in stores. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/127 "2010-01-22T22:21:28Z")
> [@not\_alice](#): > > It was more than that, the line itself is a sort of insult to masculinity - in proper context it is meant to goad someone in an argument. It riffs on the insult “Does your mother still pick out your clothes for you?” > > The humor comes from the juxtaposition of using an insult for a meant to be used towards a man as pillow talk towards a woman. You think so? I didn’t get that at all. I think bringing her mother (and maybe even the word ‘panties’) into dirty talk creeped her out, what with the vague reference to incest and kiddies. But I suppose the audience is meant to be confused, like the characters. ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/128 "2010-01-22T22:43:52Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > You think so? I didn’t get that at all. I think bringing her mother (and maybe even the word ‘panties’) into dirty talk creeped her out, what with the vague reference to incest and kiddies. But I suppose the audience is meant to be confused, like the characters. Yes, it creeped her out. But what was the mental connection the speaker made, of course inadvertantly? I think Jerry would be familiar with the insult I mentioned, being a top comedian, very experienced in handling hecklers. And that’s the thing - he got into “heckler handling mode” where he was just riffing. On stage you can follow up, but this time she ran out. ---
**Author:** ![OccamsTaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ec8ea/32.png) [@OccamsTaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OccamsTaser)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/129 "2010-01-24T18:40:34Z")
> [@horhay\_achoa](#): > > I think she is crazy. What do you think? I’m looking at this thread for the first time, and haven’t read through all three pages. I tried, but just couldn’t do it. So I’m skipping to the end, and posting at the risk of covering ground that’s already been cleared. For frame of reference, I’m a 41y/o male Damn Yankee, living in the heart of the South. I’ve always interpreted “panties” as a very feminine description of undergarments, or “drawers” as they say here. This is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone complain that the word is offensive, and I’ve never heard the word used specifically to describe children’s undergarments. Now, I have heard the word used derisively in the context of men’s underwear, as recently as last night, when I watched a rerun of “Deliverance”. In the infamous sodomy scene, the rapist instructs Ned Beatty’s character to “get them panties off too” as he’s disrobing. My brother used to use the term “Pantywaist” as a stand-in for the word sissy. Don’t know where he picked that up, and have never heard anyone else use it. To my mind, the word panties is sexy more than anything else, I think your SIL is a little odd, and wonder what her line of reasoning is. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/130 "2010-01-24T19:58:59Z")
I saw the “Are those the panties your mother picked out for you” line as being vaguely pedophile-esque. Of course, since I’m something of a sick puppy, I’m the kind of girl who’d reply with, “No, they’re the ones Daddy picked out for me while telling me not to spread my legs for anything less than five inches,” or “No, they’re the ones that creepy uncle Chester bought for me after I got blood stains on my clean white ones.” …yeah. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/131 "2010-01-25T00:29:37Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I saw the “Are those the panties your mother picked out for you” line as being vaguely pedophile-esque. Of course, since I’m something of a sick puppy, I’m the kind of girl who’d reply with, “No, they’re the ones Daddy picked out for me while telling me not to spread my legs for anything less than five inches,” or “No, they’re the ones that creepy uncle Chester bought for me after I got blood stains on my clean white ones.” > > …yeah. works for me ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/132 "2010-01-25T17:38:28Z")
At our house we call them pitters. When we’re not calling them panties. Underpants just sounds so…cottony and voluminous. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/133 "2010-01-25T19:13:25Z")
[What’s in a word?](http://www.hulu.com/watch/1509/saturday-night-live-whats-in-a-word) ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/134 "2010-01-29T00:31:50Z")
Panties are fine as long as they are respectable… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3xv7REV2HEY/hqdefault.jpg "Sister Myotis on Thongs") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xv7REV2HEY) ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/135 "2010-01-29T01:31:50Z")
Another female not bothered by the word at all. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/136 "2010-01-29T03:46:18Z")
> [@Surly\_Chick](#): > > I don’t find it offensive but I don’t use it either. It just sounds silly to me. > > And let’s clarify something - the official sayings go as follows: > > _Panties in a wad. > Boxers in a bunch. > Undies in a twist._ > > So sayeth **Surly.** Knickers in a knot? Briefs in a bind? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/137 "2010-01-30T23:16:41Z")
> [@SecondJudith](#): > > There have been quite a few instances of people in this thread describing how they or people they know associate the word “panties” particularly as children’s undergarments. > > I think a Venn diagram might be helpful. > > SOME PEOPLE (circle 1) associate “panties” with young (up to age ~12) girls. > SOME PEOPLE (circle 2) associate “panties” with sexy activities. > SOME PEOPLE (overlap of circles 1 and 2) have been in cultural contexts where they’ve heard both those associations, and are creeped out by the combination. And just where in your diagram would I find ‘granny panties’? ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979/138 "2010-01-31T00:04:51Z")
I’ve never heard the expression, but I’m sure you could imagine a third circle. As the word “some” I hope implies, it’s not intended to be exhaustive, just descriptive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-panties-offensive/524979.md?page=6)