# Men's underwear, fly or no fly? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088 "2011-11-16T03:37:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/201 "2018-03-08T10:04:00Z")
I am baffled why people bother to wear underwear? Loose and free is the way to go, people! ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/202 "2018-03-08T11:47:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Most men’s underwear comes with a fly. I’ll stop you right there : I haven’t seen one of those in years. And I certainly haven’t worn one since I was a kid in the 1980s. But even at that time, I peed like a normal person. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/203 "2018-03-08T12:17:00Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > The only time I do is when I am in dress uniform (military) and step up to the urinal to pee. I have shirt garters and belts and undershirts and all kinds of shit folded and tucked neatly to keep the shirt looking sharp. I had never heard of “shirt garters” until this post. Is that something mostly confined to military dress, something that used to be common but no longer is, or have I been totally oblivious to something that is actually relatively common? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/204 "2018-03-08T16:38:43Z")
I’m not sure why, but somehow I feel it incumbent to point out here that Spanish fly is just a myth. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/205 "2018-03-08T18:56:29Z")
“Excuse me, Tailor, but there is a fly in my underwear!” “What is he doing there, sir?” “I’m not entirely sure, it appears to be the reverse cowgirl…” ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2018, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/206 "2018-03-10T00:14:54Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I had never heard of “shirt garters” until this post. Is that something mostly confined to military dress, something that used to be common but no longer is, or have I been totally oblivious to something that is actually relatively common? It is apparently a descendant from an earlier age in men’s dress, when the full outfit for going out on the town was more complicated. Full Dress Uniform is a notorious PITA to keep looking display-sharp on a normal moving human body absent prodigious amounts of starch and use of concealed fasteners and aids like the shirt garter ( and the not unusual trick of using materials that are not standard-issue). ---
**Author:** ![DeanGreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DeanGreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeanGreen)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/207 "2018-10-03T12:10:00Z")
I want to fly even in trunk underwear. Buddy needs to get out real fast some times ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/208 "2018-10-03T13:42:27Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I bet there is a direct correlation between men who use their flys (plural, undies and pants) and men who stand up to wipe. A Venn diagram, if you will. 🙂 Absolutely not! Using a fly is using clothing as it was designed and is like having manners. Standing to wipe is barbaric. The contrast could not be greater. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/209 "2018-10-06T12:38:57Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > It’s too much work to fumble around and try to pull the damned thing through the fly. > > 1. Undo zipper. > 2. Pull waistband down with left thumb. > 3. Whip out Mr. Happy. > 4. Pee. > 5. Put Mr. Happy back in. > 6. Wonder why an additional 1/2 ounce of pee just decided to expel in my underwear. > > It’s pretty simple, really. I do this too, but then I also usually pull the zipper back up. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/210 "2018-10-06T22:47:30Z")
Q: What has a million teeth and eats wienies? A: A zipper Sorry - just had to work this in here somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2021, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/211 "2021-11-06T21:41:52Z")
You named your dick after me?! I’m speechless! I’m a fly guy, ftr. ---
**Author:** ![its\_the\_daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bb73d2/32.png) [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2021, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/212 "2021-11-06T22:35:58Z")
Briefs. Over the top. All my life. > [@tdn](#): > > I wear my watch on my penis. That way I can tell time and pee at the same time. “Got the time on yer, cock?” ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2021, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/213 "2021-11-07T05:48:59Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > You named your dick after me?! I’m speechless! You bumped a 3 year old post for that? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2021, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/214 "2021-11-07T05:58:01Z")
Hmm, pretty sure I didn’t. I only post to threads I see in the “Latest.” ETA: Actually, this thread was linked to from another thread that was just resurrected. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/215 "2021-11-11T05:40:27Z")
This reminds me of something else apparently described in the Men’s Handbook, but this page was missing from my copy. OTOH, I never wear the kind of shorts I’m about to describe, so it has never been an issue for me. I walk into any public restroom, and if there are guys at the urinals wearing those longish loose shorts, chances are that some or all of them will be holding up the shorts leg on the non-dominant side, while their other hand takes care of the business “at hand”. If you do this, what is the reason? Is it to prevent getting drops of pee on your shorts? If so, what do you do when you wear long pants? ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/216 "2021-11-11T09:00:57Z")
I wear boxer briefs. They come with a fly closed with little buttons. I never use it. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/217 "2021-11-11T19:34:50Z")
Commando all the way. I think the last time I wore briefs was on a long motorcycle trip about 30 years ago. Towards the end of the first day’s ride, the seams so inflamed my nether regions that I stopped on the shoulder, pulled a pair of scissors out of my tank bag, reached in, cut them, yanked them out and threw them in the ditch. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/218 "2021-11-12T15:27:56Z")
I’m confused here. What underwear were you wearing that had harsher seams than your trousers? You’d have to be wearing some sort of cashmere pants to have softer seams than the underwear I wear. On a motorcycle ride, I assume they were a bit stouter. I can’t imagine wearing jeans without undies. YOUCH! ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088/219 "2021-11-12T15:32:19Z")
The briefs must have ridden up my crack, whereas the jeans bridged across if that makes sense. Never had a bit of trouble after that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-underwear-fly-or-no-fly/603088.md?page=10)