# Words/expressions I want to be eliminated from usage RIGHT NOW TODAY ENOUGH ALREADY! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 5, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609 "2014-09-05T20:02:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/321 "2014-11-18T16:45:43Z")
This one was possibly mentioned upthread (possibly by me!) but I’m not reading through seven pages to check. In any case, it’s a horrible enough word that it deserves an encore in this list: Can we please get rid of “panties”? Please? Or at least stop allowing it to refer to the underwear of anyone over the age of five? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/322 "2014-11-18T17:00:22Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Can we please get rid of “panties”? Going commando, eh? > [@](#): > > Or at least stop allowing it to refer to the underwear of anyone over the age of five? What would you call them, then? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/323 "2014-11-18T17:08:37Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > What would you call them, then? Underwear. Underpants. Undies, if you want to leave a “cute” option. Bikinis. Thong. Boyshorts. Skivvies. _Anything_ else. Just hearing any adult woman referring to her “panties” makes me cringe. Particularly when it’s in any kind of serious context. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/324 "2014-11-18T17:15:33Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I’ve heard it used lots of places outside of Texas, but not much outside of the 80s. Is it still used in Texas? Alas, yes. It was in the local paper today. In a photo caption. > [@orderfire](#): > > _Boot scootin_ instantly makes me think of the motion one makes when it is discovered that one has stepped in some dog shit. Now _that’s_ what I call boot scootin! It makes me think of that thing your dog does when he scrapes his butt on the carpet because of clogged anal glands. I guess that’s “_butt scootin’_.” > [@Aquadementia](#): > > Mullet sounds like a type of fish… [It is a type of fish.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullet_%28fish%29) Do they wear their hair this way? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/325 "2014-11-18T17:28:19Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Underwear. Underpants. Undies, if you want to leave a “cute” option. Bikinis. Thong. Boyshorts. Skivvies. _Anything_ else. All of those are either more general, or refer to something different (e.g. “bikinis” are two-piece bathing suits). After reading your first post, I checked online, and yes, “panty” is what it says on the package, so whether you like it or not, it seems to be the official name for that particular type of garment. (Not to mention there’s pantyhose, which I assume you would call “underwearhose.”) ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/326 "2014-11-18T17:28:20Z")
Here’s one that unfortunately appears to be picking up steam: [Posterize](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterized) ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/327 "2014-11-18T17:39:33Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > All of those are either more general, or refer to something different (e.g. “bikinis” are two-piece bathing suits). No, a “bikini” is a two-piece bathing suit. But there are also “bikini” underwear (for both men and women). > [@](#): > > After reading your first post, I checked online, and yes, “panty” is what it says on the package, so whether you like it or not, it seems to be the official name for that particular type of garment. (Not to mention there’s pantyhose, which I assume you would call “underwearhose.”) No, pantyhose are different (though it would be just as easy to call them “nylons” or “hose”). And I _know_ that’s what it says on the package. But we don’t always call things by their official names (when was the last time someone asked you to hand them a “facial tissue” instead of a “Kleenex,” or you used “bathroom tissue” instead of “toilet paper”?) The thread title says “words/expressions _I_ want to be eliminated (etc.).” “Panties” is one of my big peeves. You don’t have to agree with me–I don’t mind. But it’s just such an infantilizing word for something worn by adult women. You could be Hillary Clinton or Condoleezza Rice and you’d still sound undignified and infantile uttering the phrase “my panties.” Come to think of it, I think my main objection is to the word in the plural, which is why “panties” bothers me but “pantyhose” doesn’t. Opinions, everybody’s got 'em, YMMV, etc. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/328 "2014-11-18T18:45:09Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > No, pantyhose are different (though it would be just as easy to call them “nylons” or “hose”). And I _know_ that’s what it says on the package. But we don’t always call things by their official names (when was the last time someone asked you to hand them a “facial tissue” instead of a “Kleenex,” or you used “bathroom tissue” instead of “toilet paper”?) “Nylons,” and “hose” already exist. They are long, sheer stockings that require garters to stay up. At some point, someone had the idea to make a single garment that combined a panty with two long hose, called “pantyhose.” It eliminated the need for garters, and also helped with the pantylines at the butt problem. This is what pantyhose are. (I know that should call for a singular verb, but it sounds too wrong.) Nearly all women who wear nylon hose opt for pantyhose instead of long hose that need garters, unless they are strippers, albeit, some women buy short hose (knee highs) to wear with slacks. I suppose there are women who wear long hose for some reason-- I understand there have been advances in getting them to stay up without garters, but since it’s perfectly acceptable to wear skirts with bare legs anymore, and there are lots of choices of colors, textures, and decorations for pantyhose or tights for cold weather, when one might wear underwear under ones tights for a little extra insulation, you really have to be dedicated to the idea. I don’t personally know anyone who wears long hose. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/329 "2014-11-18T18:54:10Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > Mullet sounds like a type of fish. I’m glad that haircut was long in my past before finding out it had a name. That’s actually the point. It _didn’t_ have a name. The Beastie Boys had a song called “Mullet Head” that came out in 1994, and all of a sudden people started claiming that our generation wore mullets. Sorry Beastie Boys, you don’t get to retroactively name a hairstyle after it’s already gone out of style. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/330 "2014-11-18T19:07:13Z")
I want an end to the form “because (noun).” Like — “Women get paid less for the same work because sexism.” Hate that. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/331 "2014-11-18T19:09:31Z")
I see nothing infantilizing about “panties.” That’s just the name of the thing. It’s certainly better than “knickers” or “pants,” which both mean something else to me. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/332 "2014-11-18T21:08:08Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Here’s one that unfortunately appears to be picking up steam: > > [Posterize](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterized) Hmmm…Yeah, this usage should be banned. “Posterize” is actually a thing you do to an image in Photoshop. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/333 "2014-11-18T21:17:48Z")
The next person who labels linguistic innovation they don’t like as ‘newspeak’ gets slapped with a wet fish. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/334 "2014-11-18T23:18:26Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > The next person who labels linguistic innovation they don’t like as ‘newspeak’ gets slapped with a wet fish. Preferably a mullet. ---
**Author:** ![orderfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orderfire/32/10908_2.png) [@orderfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orderfire)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/335 "2014-11-19T15:29:45Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > It makes me think of that thing your dog does when he scrapes his butt on the carpet because of clogged anal glands. I guess that’s “_butt scootin’_.” _…scrapes his butt…_…know, I’m a sophomoric idiot, but this has me cracking up so hard. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/336 "2014-11-20T01:47:50Z")
Kick off. Every single project or change at work now has to have a “kick off.” It makes me want to **kick** people and tell them to fuck **off**. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/337 "2014-11-20T04:42:50Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Underwear. Underpants. Undies, if you want to leave a “cute” option. Bikinis. Thong. Boyshorts. Skivvies. _Anything_ else. > > Just hearing any adult woman referring to her “panties” makes me cringe. Particularly when it’s in any kind of serious context. Underwear includes my bra. Underpants implies pants. Undies is ridiculously cute. Bikinis are those two-piece swimsuits that I refuse to wear at the beach because it would be an offense unto aesthetics. Thong is a specific type and HELL NO. Boyshorts, maybe yours. Again, a specific type. Skivvies sounds like skeeved. I’m not skeeved by my panties, but maybe you are? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/338 "2014-11-20T12:24:45Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I’m not skeeved by my panties, but maybe you are? I’ve never seen the movie **Lost in Translation**. Wonder if it’s currently steaming? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/339 "2014-11-20T12:33:08Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Underwear includes my bra. > > Underpants implies pants. > > Undies is ridiculously cute. > > Bikinis are those two-piece swimsuits that I refuse to wear at the beach because it would be an offense unto aesthetics. > > Thong is a specific type and HELL NO. > > Boyshorts, maybe yours. Again, a specific type. > > Skivvies sounds like skeeved. I’m not skeeved by my panties, but maybe you are? I know, right? I was always under the impression that “panties” was the correct term. All of those others are euphemisms or synonyms. The only women I’ve heard use “skivvies” to refer to their panties have been fictional women in novels who are “tough”, and often have a military background. And even then, they tend to use it sarcastically. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609/340 "2014-11-20T13:59:50Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > This one was possibly mentioned upthread (possibly by me!) but I’m not reading through seven pages to check. In any case, it’s a horrible enough word that it deserves an encore in this list: > > Can we please get rid of “panties”? > > Please? > > Or at least stop allowing it to refer to the underwear of anyone over the age of five? I never used it even when my daughter was under five. It’s creepy, and it makes me cringe. Underwear is a nice, all-purpose word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-expressions-i-want-to-be-eliminated-from-usage-right-now-today-enough-already/697609.md?page=18)