Underwear

I remember people saying ‘the Lav’ which I thought sounded awful.

Our department stores have an 'Underwear' department, which includes bras, panties, fine lingerie, shapewear and sleepwear. So even if they are classified as panties, I will call the underwear, or even undies.

Pants are what you would call trousers.

If I log onto John Lewis, there is a category under Lingerie for bras and knickers. So is language moving away from 'pants'?

I don't even like the word "panties" it always seems rather coy.

I wear knickers!

I wear pants under my trousers/ jeans.

NotSpaghetti

I don't even like the word "panties" it always seems rather coy.

I wear knickers!

I dislike the word panties as well NotSpaghetti ranks alongside moist and hubby.

I am always put in mind of a story friends of ours jtold us. He was American and he and his wife were house hunting in the wilds of Nofolk. He needed to use the toilet so they stopped at a little filling station. He asked if they had a bathroom. The owner said no they didn’t have a bathroom. “Well a restroom then.” “No” said the man “but we’ve got a sofa if you need to lie down!” His wife, who was English, then went to his rescue but not before she’d enjoyed the exchange!

sodapop

I noticed that my grandchildren say "undies" for what I would call pants, or sometimes knickers.

I suppose language changes all the time - these days, a lot of people would say "loo" instead of toilet, in an informal setting.

I have always avoided 'toilet' and said 'loo'. Toilet is itself a euphemism and always smacks to me of Hyacinth Bucket

My headmistress insisted it was a lavatory !

Farmor15

I noticed that my grandchildren say "undies" for what I would call pants, or sometimes knickers.

I suppose language changes all the time - these days, a lot of people would say "loo" instead of toilet, in an informal setting.

I’ve always said ‘pop to the loo’ or something similar- I had it drummed into me as a child (68 now) that to call it the toilet in company was common.

Years ago I worked somewhere where we would get a lot of visitors from the firm’s HO and would always discreetly check that they didn’t need a quick break for a coffee and the loo when they first arrived.
I remember a colleague greeting a very senior executive with a loud cheery ‘Hi do you need the toilet?’ 😂
Cringe with embarrassment!

watermeadow

The thread on what we’re wearing mentions underwear a few times. Are people adopting the ambivalent American term? Do you mean pants?
Underwear in English includes bra, knickers, petticoats, chemises. For men it would be pants and vests.
Why are American euphemisms usually vague, like bathroom for loo and nothing to do with baths? Their puppies also go potty or go to the bathroom, which means wee or poo.
When I was a child we weren’t allowed to say toilet because it was American, so we’ve had creeping Americanisms for a long time.

My American friend calls knickers ‘panties’.

Everyone said bathroom when I was young, in Scotland.
I now tend to say convenience.
I've never liked toilet or lavatory and I always thought loo was an English word (as opposed to Scottish).

To go back to underwear, I agree with the OP.
I'd never say underwear if I meant just pants.

Toilet is what I've always called it, or loo sometimes.

Knickers for... well... knickers.
Never ever panties.

Pants. My daughter still talks about “ pooing her pants” !
( meaning very scared, as well as the literal meaning).

Underwear means several items, not just knickers.
What about “ in my undies” and “ big girls’ knickers”?
My mum wouldn’t use the word bra. It had to be brassiere.

Knickers (if you mean knickers!) Undies if you mean knickers and bra)
Bra if you mean bra!

Loo always, my father insisted on “lavatory” ugh!

“Wee wee” for both puppies and toddlers!

sodapop

NotSpaghetti

I don't even like the word "panties" it always seems rather coy.

I wear knickers!

I dislike the word panties as well NotSpaghetti ranks alongside moist and hubby.

😲🤭oh yeah!

Most people now say loo.
All the older generation I knew in London used to say Lav.
I bypass the words pants/ knickers by wearing boxers.
Soooo comfy.

Oreo do you get men's boxers or ones for women?
I'm due some new pants and I'm fed up of nasty little briefs but I don't think I want granny pants either.

I think loo is what most people say now.
But in my childhood we said lav and I still do with my generation.

Quoting the OP -

“Their puppies also go potty or go to the bathroom, which means wee or poo.”

I think Americans use “poop” for dogs.

I waer knickers my dh wears pants

Going back to underwear, the word brassière originally meant a little vest in French. But the French call it a "soutiengorge" (support the throat) while
the Germans, in their usual direct way, call it a Büstenhalter or BH. Italian and Spanish have different words meaning 'hold the chest".
Funny how no-one wants to say breast.