In fact, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known use of 'panties' is from a 1908 set of instructions for making doll clothes. Literally: 'little pants.' The suffix puts it in the same category as 'booties' and 'blankies'-words often associated with small children. I've heard several people refer to the word as 'infantilizing.' The addition of the suffix '-ies' (or in the singular form, '-y') converts the word into a diminutive. Sure, when said within the confines of a lingerie store, by an older saleswoman with a tape measure around her neck and glasses slipping down her nose, it's fine: 'Did you see the black underwire has the matching panty?' But taken out of this context, the word 'panty' can be grimace-inducing-and there are a few possible reasons for that. Why does the word 'panties' bother so many people? In addition to a slew of blog posts and message boards denouncing the word, The Huffington Post's Zoë Triska named it 'the worst word ever.' included 'panties' in its list of the 'Five Words That Need To Be Banned From English.'
'Panties' creeps me out.Īnd apparently I'm not alone. It's because I hate the word 'panty.' I hate the plural form of 'panty' as well. Not because I hate underwear-I'm an ardent lover of underwear. Reading those words, I cringe a little bit. Every month or so, I receive a glossy coupon from Victoria's Secret in my mailbox.
