Euphemisms for Underwear

Hello, welcome to A Way with Words.

Hey, hey, how are you?

Excellent, who are we talking to?

This is Connie Bolin from Wasis, Florida.

Hi, Connie, welcome to the show.

Well, I have a question from way back when I was six years old. My grandmother lived in Kennett, Missouri, down kind of in the south. That’s where my people are from. And she would come down to Panama City, Florida. Every time that mother would have another baby, she would help. Well, I’m the oldest of six, so I saw her quite a lot. One day she was down there visiting, and she hollered out of the bathroom door for me to go get her step-ins. So being six years old, I had no idea what that was. I went to her room. I looked in her suitcase. I brought her back her bedroom slippers. It’s the only thing I could think of that she could step in. So my question is, what on earth is a step-in, and why did she use it to ask for her underwear?

She was a little confused.

You were confused.

But now step-ins, I don’t know that one, Martha. I mean, it’s not something I ever heard or used.

No, I didn’t use it growing up, but it does give us a chance to talk about the history of underwear, doesn’t it?

Okay.

Yeah, because you weren’t wrong, Connie, to bring her slippers because step-in has been used over the years to mean shoes. But it also means underwear.

Okay.

And it has to do with the history of underwear and the fact that underwear that you step into is relatively recent in human history. You think back to the 1840s and you had Amelia Jenks Bloomer who invented bloomers that she tried to popularize. They were like panties that you step in or like little knickers that you step in. But the term step-in as a term for underwear has only been around since the early 20th century or so. And before that, a lot of times underwear didn’t have crotches. It was sometimes just two pieces. And so to have something that you step into, like a pair of shorts, is relatively new.

But there was something avoidant about that phrase as well, right? It wasn’t panties. It wasn’t underwear.

Well, sure, yeah. It’s a euphemism. You were just trying to not specifically mention the unmentionable.

Right. Was she kind of prudish?

No, she was wild. She was wild. Being born in 1911, she was kind of crazy. So I don’t know why she called it that.

Oh, okay. I just want to say, I would never send someone else for my own underwear.

Regardless.

Well, I think she was kind of halfway dressed.

Gotcha.

Out of the shower kind of thing. She couldn’t go gallivanting down the hallway.

Well, thanks. That kind of vindicates my six-year-old self anyway.

Oh, absolutely. Now I know, but she wasn’t completely crazy.

Yeah, neither one of you were. I mean, you were right to look for shoes, but I can see why she asked for her step-ins.

Well, I’ll have to look it up and see if I can get a pair just for old times’ sake.

Thanks, Connie. Take care now.

All right, thanks. Bye-bye.

Thanks, Connie. Bye-bye.

And I see here that occasionally they were referred to as pull-ons, not to be confused with pull-ups, which is a very different kind of undergarment.

Right. And it’s funny because all of these about pulling up remind me of drawers, which is another name for underwear.

Oh, drawers.

Yeah, drawing. It’s something to draw something up.

Right. You’re pulling it up.

Right. So there’s all these terms that have to do with the action of, it must be this very self-conscious action we do when we pull up the undergarment to cover ourselves.

Well, it also makes sense that, you know, there are pieces of clothing named for how you put them on.

Sure.

Like a pullover sweater, for example.

Yeah, absolutely. A wrap around skirt.

Mm—

Actually, yeah. Outstanding.

Well, if you’ve got questions about underwear, Martha’s your lady. 877-929-9673. Tell us on Twitter. Don’t be embarrassed. @wayword.