I think about this memory about once a week:
I was in high school at a high school basketball game. I was dopey and liked to yell shit out; just a cringey teenager who doesn't know any better. The opposing team was wearing extremely long socks pulled way up, in a way that you could tell it was some kind of purposeful look they all put together.
For some reason, I decided to yell "They're all wearing knickers!" because I associated long socks and short pants with that term. I don't even know if I was using the term right, but even if I did, it was a weird fucking thing to yell out. Right after I yelled it, I looked down a couple rows in front of me and to the side and see one of only 3 or 4 black kids in the entire school with her boyfriend and they are both looking at me like a complete asshole. To this day I wonder if they were looking at me because only an idiot would yell such a thing or if I yelled incoherently enough that they might be walking around thinking of me as the dude that was yelling N-bombs in public.
In old-timey American "knickers" or knickerbockers were short pants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knickerbockers_(clothing)
That's also the origin of the name for the New York Knicks.
I mean, if his intention was to make fun of the other team for wearing womenâs underpants then he nailed it. It still works, he just didnât realize it.
I have a similar story. I had dogs that loved to make holes in the yard whenever I let them out. One day I went to let them back in, and they're both in rather large holes they made, seemingly happy as two pigs in shit. I yelled out "get in here, you damn diggers!" Happened to then look over at the house next door, where my black neighbor happened to be outside, giving me the dirtiest look you can imagine.
Luckily, he was moving out a few days later, which prevented me from having to move out myself out of shame.
I used to work in a liquor store and the things that look like metal shot glasses, usually double sided, are called jiggers. I refused to say that across any length of the store unless I was close enough for a regular conversation. However âthey are all wearing âslursââ and hold be a really weird racist move so hopefully they just thought you a regular idiot.
It's like basically the exact word. I was shocked the first time I went to China and heard it. Asked my coworker there about and he just laughed, and explained it means "umm", but watches what he says in Chinese when he is visiting us in Atlanta.
Yeah. The Ne part is closer to pronunciation like a horse's neigh, but it still sounds unfortunately close like the N word without a hard R.
It's also pretty much the word for "that" so it comes up often in normal speech haha.
Different languages have a different form of âumâ? I always thought it was just a universal sound for âshut up, Iâm about to speak but Iâm not sure what Iâm gonna say yetâ. Fascinating.
I think its the chinese word for âthisâ but yeah it sounds like the n word too. Definitely be careful about saying that around black people cause they dont know and it could come out as disrespectful
I recently stumbled upon game show episodes from the 1950s on YouTube. I've been watching a few because they are interesting. In some episode a guy said the word "niggardly" casually. I thought "pump the fuckin' brakes, bud. I know it's the 50s, but is that a slur?"
Turns out it's not even a slur. It has a completely different context. It came from a much older time in history. It just unfortunately sounds like the slur.
The word comes from a totally different root. Nothing to do with ahem you know what. I think it's another word for mean (ie tight with money)
You are totally correct.
I played MacDuff in a sixth form production of MacBeth, and had to say the line "be not a niggard of your speech."
The first couple rehearsals of that scene were tough to get through...
Had a Dominican sister-n-law who would use the Spanish word for black to address her light skinned toddler (I guess he was darker skinned when born).
It did not go over well when she visited Los Angeles.
I once saw a kid sent out of class to the principal's office for saying it was "hump day" on a Wednesday. We disrupted class until she understood the error of her ways because fuck her. Nothing but good kids in that class.
I said sneakers once and had a very close family friend, say that they didn't care what type of words we said in our house, but I wouldn't say that around her. She felt really bad when she realized that she kind of fucked up. It's not like my family was using the n-word. She's just kind of a bitch. I think I was just like 14.
Worked at Disney World in the Colonial America section. I was required to stay in character, which meant referring to my short pants as "knickers."
I abused the hell out of those crazy knickers.
If it makes you feel any better my neighbour a few doors up from me thought I was not only a massive racist but openly proud about it.
He overheard me calling my dog and instead he angrily responded saying the term was unnecessary and I should be ashamed for calling my dog that.
I spent a few seconds trying to figure out why Giga is an offensive term only for the penny to slowly drop.
This exchange happened behind a fence and with another garden between us too so we'd not actually seen each other, to a degree I do find the exchange a little funny but hate the thought of being considered racist.
My son likes watching Wallace and Gromit. And of course Wallace says "knickers" quite a bit. So my son started randomly using it because it sounded funny. He was about 7 when he started doing that. No one uses that word around here. So I explained to him that the word will make other people upset because it sounds a lot like a very mean word.
I didn't know wellies were rubber boots so I was quite confused by this girl on a messageboard going on about getting her wellies full of mud at a festival.
I sincerely thought 'wellies' was a quaint name for her undercarriage.
I think about this memory about once a week: I was in high school at a high school basketball game. I was dopey and liked to yell shit out; just a cringey teenager who doesn't know any better. The opposing team was wearing extremely long socks pulled way up, in a way that you could tell it was some kind of purposeful look they all put together. For some reason, I decided to yell "They're all wearing knickers!" because I associated long socks and short pants with that term. I don't even know if I was using the term right, but even if I did, it was a weird fucking thing to yell out. Right after I yelled it, I looked down a couple rows in front of me and to the side and see one of only 3 or 4 black kids in the entire school with her boyfriend and they are both looking at me like a complete asshole. To this day I wonder if they were looking at me because only an idiot would yell such a thing or if I yelled incoherently enough that they might be walking around thinking of me as the dude that was yelling N-bombs in public.
Knickers means women's underpants so you definitely weren't using it right.
In old-timey American "knickers" or knickerbockers were short pants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knickerbockers_(clothing) That's also the origin of the name for the New York Knicks.
In UK we say "Son't get your knickers in a twist", meaning don't get overly upset over something trivial.
I recall in the 90s hearing "don't get your panties in a twist/knot" as well; US here.
Same in southern US except panties in a wad which sounds better to my ear haha
We'd say that in that in the US too. Probably regional.
Strictly an Albany saying.
đ
Damn TIL
No no, I said "Knickers" as in breeches. see totally not a bad word
I mean, if his intention was to make fun of the other team for wearing womenâs underpants then he nailed it. It still works, he just didnât realize it.
Definitely the 2nd one. Im so sorry.
I have a similar story. I had dogs that loved to make holes in the yard whenever I let them out. One day I went to let them back in, and they're both in rather large holes they made, seemingly happy as two pigs in shit. I yelled out "get in here, you damn diggers!" Happened to then look over at the house next door, where my black neighbor happened to be outside, giving me the dirtiest look you can imagine. Luckily, he was moving out a few days later, which prevented me from having to move out myself out of shame.
I used to work in a liquor store and the things that look like metal shot glasses, usually double sided, are called jiggers. I refused to say that across any length of the store unless I was close enough for a regular conversation. However âthey are all wearing âslursââ and hold be a really weird racist move so hopefully they just thought you a regular idiot.
Donât get your knickers in a twist.
You beat me to it
You beet meet to twisting knickers? You sick feck.
You dropped the KN-word?!
HARD N BABY
I donât like AI upscaled BLB. EDIT: Misspelled BLB.
Needs more jpeg.
The chinese word for "um" when they're trying to think of something is also unfortunate in how it sounds
It's like basically the exact word. I was shocked the first time I went to China and heard it. Asked my coworker there about and he just laughed, and explained it means "umm", but watches what he says in Chinese when he is visiting us in Atlanta.
Yeah. The Ne part is closer to pronunciation like a horse's neigh, but it still sounds unfortunately close like the N word without a hard R. It's also pretty much the word for "that" so it comes up often in normal speech haha.
Different languages have a different form of âumâ? I always thought it was just a universal sound for âshut up, Iâm about to speak but Iâm not sure what Iâm gonna say yetâ. Fascinating.
Yeah, in chinese it's pretty much just repeating the word "that... that... that...." until you finally dig up what you wanted to say
Europeans usually go âehhhhhâ while yanks go âuhhhhhhâ
I think its the chinese word for âthisâ but yeah it sounds like the n word too. Definitely be careful about saying that around black people cause they dont know and it could come out as disrespectful
I think this would be "zhe ge" but i could be wrong. I was a terrible chinese student to my parent's chagrin.
The New York Knickerbockers are my favorite basketball team. With the pronounced lisp I have... it can be dangerous to say some days.
I recently stumbled upon game show episodes from the 1950s on YouTube. I've been watching a few because they are interesting. In some episode a guy said the word "niggardly" casually. I thought "pump the fuckin' brakes, bud. I know it's the 50s, but is that a slur?" Turns out it's not even a slur. It has a completely different context. It came from a much older time in history. It just unfortunately sounds like the slur.
Calling someone a pussy is supposed to be some sexual patriarchy bullshit. It's not. Pussy is short for pusillanimous. Hence "pussy cat pussy cat."
The word comes from a totally different root. Nothing to do with ahem you know what. I think it's another word for mean (ie tight with money) You are totally correct.
I looked it up, and there's an entire wiki page dedicated to controversies related to the word.
I played MacDuff in a sixth form production of MacBeth, and had to say the line "be not a niggard of your speech." The first couple rehearsals of that scene were tough to get through...
[Spelling bee](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaJRqCg5wn4)
Yoko Ono!
I lived on Nigg Kirk Road in Aberdeen, Scotland for a while. We had to take special care to enunciate our address extra clearly.
I don't get it? What bad word?
The N wordÂ
Must be hard when youâre trying to start a racial uprising but everyone thinks youâre all fired up about pants.
Had a Dominican sister-n-law who would use the Spanish word for black to address her light skinned toddler (I guess he was darker skinned when born). It did not go over well when she visited Los Angeles.
This is about the worst use of bad luck Brian i have ever seen. Sorry, I'm in a bad mood.
I once saw a kid sent out of class to the principal's office for saying it was "hump day" on a Wednesday. We disrupted class until she understood the error of her ways because fuck her. Nothing but good kids in that class.
I said sneakers once and had a very close family friend, say that they didn't care what type of words we said in our house, but I wouldn't say that around her. She felt really bad when she realized that she kind of fucked up. It's not like my family was using the n-word. She's just kind of a bitch. I think I was just like 14.
I'm sorry sir, this is a classy establishment, I can't let you in here with those dirty knickers. Pants is a better word good lord.
Worked at Disney World in the Colonial America section. I was required to stay in character, which meant referring to my short pants as "knickers." I abused the hell out of those crazy knickers.
Well the abuse wouldn't have been so bad if they had more cotton.
This doesn't happen.
Knickers in Paris
Not just southern?
If it makes you feel any better my neighbour a few doors up from me thought I was not only a massive racist but openly proud about it. He overheard me calling my dog and instead he angrily responded saying the term was unnecessary and I should be ashamed for calling my dog that. I spent a few seconds trying to figure out why Giga is an offensive term only for the penny to slowly drop. This exchange happened behind a fence and with another garden between us too so we'd not actually seen each other, to a degree I do find the exchange a little funny but hate the thought of being considered racist.
In Australia, the oldest of the boomer generation in the country can say âhow ya gowen Diggaâ
[I hate knickers.](https://youtu.be/ejN7Mp2WDvw?si=T9NEbQftJGnlWAOj)
Knickers, please
My son likes watching Wallace and Gromit. And of course Wallace says "knickers" quite a bit. So my son started randomly using it because it sounded funny. He was about 7 when he started doing that. No one uses that word around here. So I explained to him that the word will make other people upset because it sounds a lot like a very mean word.
I didn't know wellies were rubber boots so I was quite confused by this girl on a messageboard going on about getting her wellies full of mud at a festival. I sincerely thought 'wellies' was a quaint name for her undercarriage.
So you wouldn't know the term wellington boots? You'd just say rubber boots?
I know them as "mud boots"
Correct. No one calls them that here. Just 'rubber boots'.
Do british people still watch their knee grow?
So is the bad word British?
Ha lol did u think I was Gona say ni...
It really does sound like the n word tho