28th Mar 06: Learning Placemats | Home | Taking the week off

Y’s

As part of my initiation into American culture a few year’s ago I had to learn what Whitey Tighties were. However I was still shocked tonight at bridge. It was hot and we were stripping off (not unlike strip poker – well, ok, completely different from strip poker) and I made a passing remark about not stopping until we got to our Y’s.

No-one knew what I meant.

So: Y’s are short for Y-front’s, here’s what wikipedia’s short entry has to say:

Y-fronts is a British colloquialism for the type of men’s briefs that have a sideways-slanting fly. The term derives from the inverted Y-shape formed by the seams of the underpants.


[Update: Of course, as Danika points out – it’s also Tighty Whitey and not just Whitey Tighties – somedays you can’t even trust wikipedia or Dan Savage]