Undergarments

[sr71plt]

My favorite bit of cross-cultural vocabulary came from when we lived in Germany. We were leaving on a road trip to Bavaria, and the maid hung her prodigious mammaries out of the apartment window two flights up, waved her arms enthusiastically, and yelled for all the neighborhood to hear, "Have a good Fahrt." (Fahrt is German for trip.)

 

[elfin_odalisque]

evanslily, take a deep breath and sniff the vapors.

If you try cliterotica.co.uk you will find knickers waved in your face. It's just, like Shang said, a bit of a special UK/Australian word that we girls use to be a bit earthy. In conclusion, if you want to write a totally UK based story, knickers are fine, but if you want to be a bit international, you do best to avoid it.

Try Sidney Sheldon, an American who now lives in UK. He keeps tripping over the differences.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

My favorite bit of cross-cultural vocabulary came from when we lived in Germany. We were leaving on a road trip to Bavaria, and the maid hung her prodigious mammaries out of the apartment window two flights up, waved her arms enthusiastically, and yelled for all the neighborhood to hear, "Have a good Fahrt." (Fahrt is German for trip.)

It's great on the Auotobahns, where every exit is marked 'Ausfahrt'. Is that someting about letting off gas?

 

[sr71plt]

It's great on the Auotobahns, where every exit is marked 'Ausfahrt'. Is that someting about letting off gas?

All I can say is that there's a lot of cabbage in the German diet.

 

[evanslily]

evanslily, take a deep breath and sniff the vapors.

Huh? Hey--I really don't have that much of a problem with this. I just find it amusing that in order to be 'international' I have to use an American word...

And I've already agreed that from now on in my stories, none of my heroines are going to wear any underwear at all.



Elfin, I've just read 'My Cute Stumpy Thick End' and realised you've been there, done that--hey you've given this a lot of thought! My apologies for thinking you were getting at me...

 

[sr71plt]

Huh? Hey--I really don't have that much of a problem with this. I just find it amusing that in order to be 'international' I have to use an American word...

And I've already agreed that from now on in my stories, none of my heroines are going to wear any underwear at all.

Yeah, a lot of my Brit ex pat friends have trouble with the sun having set on the empire.

 

[evanslily]

Yeah, a lot of my Brit ex pat friends have trouble with the sun having set on the empire.

We had an empire? Sorry, much too young to remember that

 

[sr71plt]

We had an empire? Sorry, much too young to remember that

Yes, but you sold it for a gin and tonic (and came out the better for it).

 

[rydia57]

I recall some story I read a couple years ago, the guy snuck up on the girl, quickly pulled her knickers down and gave her a quick spanking. Ooooh, the word "knickers" actually turned me on then. It was so vivid, I could see the whole thing! I guess its just the way you use it but. You should do like Shanglan says and write whatever gets you off. Or post two versions and see which one gets the bigger draw?

 

[evanslily]

I recall some story I read a couple years ago, the guy snuck up on the girl, quickly pulled her knickers down and gave her a quick spanking. Ooooh, the word "knickers" actually turned me on then. It was so vivid, I could see the whole thing! I guess its just the way you use it but. You should do like Shanglan says and write whatever gets you off. Or post two versions and see which one gets the bigger draw?

Ooh, now there's an idea...

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Yeah, a lot of my Brit ex pat friends have trouble with the sun having set on the empire.

Is this an illusion to knickers covering 'where the sun don't shine'?

evanslily, Thanks for reading me and I assure you I wasn't having a pop at you.

Still think it's funny that 'panties' started life as American men's underwear and I have been told by a Turkish friend that a 'thong' in Turkish is a 'cut crap'. My Turkish is not good enough to check that out though.

Just a question though, will your heroines be wearing pants or trousers to hide the fact they are going commando?

 

[evanslily]

Just a question though, will your heroines be wearing pants or trousers to hide the fact they are going commando?

Damn it, they'll have to wear skirts... Easy access that way, right?

 

[sr71plt]

Damn it, they'll have to wear skirts... Easy access that way, right?

They could be Scotish commandos and wear kilts--the (rumored) traditional way(?)

 

[EveAnna]

I've had a little think about this too:-

In my stories the guys wear trousers not pants, the girls carry shoulder bags not purses but they also wear panties not knickers. I think its because I like the word panties better than knickers.

Although reading something like ' he turned her over, ripping her knickers off' does sound more earthy than 'he turned her over, ripping her panties off'.

 

[lushlucid]

knickers and undies is something i think of for young children so it's not really something i want to hear in an erotic story. Some women find the word panties demeaning or slutty but i think it's sexy =)

 

[sr71plt]

I've had a little think about this too:-

In my stories the guys wear trousers not pants, the girls carry shoulder bags not purses but they also wear panties not knickers. I think its because I like the word panties better than knickers.

Although reading something like ' he turned her over, ripping her knickers off' does sound more earthy than 'he turned her over, ripping her panties off'.

How about "he turned her over, sliding long, honestly calloused fingers between silk and warm flesh, flesh on flesh. She heard the tearing of the fabric, and she moaned at the sudden coolness of the air contrasting the hot relentless invasion of his fingers . . ."

No need to talk about panties or knickers at all, as far as I can tell.

 

[EveAnna]

Yes that might work too LOL

 

[Harrowborg]

I was just wondering...

What's wrong with 'knickers'?

You see, I don't wear panties. Living in the UK, it just isn't the done thing

But I do wear knickers. Not drawers, not bloomers, not briefs...

And the heroines in my stories wear knickers too. But the word seems to, well, turn off some readers here on Literotica. Why is that?

Panties, well, it's not a word I've ever used. I'm not comfortable with it at all. As far as I'm concerned, only little girls wear panties. Should I put my characters in thongs instead?

And before I make another faux pas, what should men wear? Am I okay with boxers? Briefs?

All opinions gratefully received

I've always taken that word as quite a clinical description of the item in question. a cakes a cake but a rocky road chocolate pie just sounds so much more delicious. but i guess its all in the description, i know in a few of the stories i've written i've used the word but have put a bit of description before it, ie. 'her blue satin soft knickers'. I have also used 'panties' as a descriptive word however I've deliberately chosen to put this later into the story where the action is 'heating up'.

My problem I find it difficult is choosing a descriptive word for the bottom. Bum sounds quite common, arse I have to translate to ass (although I sometimes forget this) and of course using the word 'fanny' means two completely different things so meh

 

[elfin_odalisque]

How about "he turned her over, sliding long, honestly calloused fingers between silk and warm flesh, flesh on flesh. She heard the tearing of the fabric, and she moaned at the sudden coolness of the air contrasting the hot relentless invasion of his fingers . . ."

No need to talk about panties or knickers at all, as far as I can tell.

Have you thought about branching out from gay stories. You seem to have a talent for it.

 

[evanslily]

How about "he turned her over, sliding long, honestly calloused fingers between silk and warm flesh, flesh on flesh. She heard the tearing of the fabric, and she moaned at the sudden coolness of the air contrasting the hot relentless invasion of his fingers . . ."

I take your point.

But...

How about "he turned her over, sliding long, dishonestly calloused fingers between silk and warm flesh..."

Now that sounds like my kinda story...

 

[sr71plt]

I take your point.

But...

How about "he turned her over, sliding long, dishonestly calloused fingers between silk and warm flesh..."

Now that sounds like my kinda story...

Yeah, that would be funny (in the right context).

I'll admit that I was trying to make a few literary points, though. "He ripped off her knickers" is telling--I was trying to demonstrated what could be done rather through "showing" not only to avoid words that excluded readers (they can fill in their own understanding of what to call those silk things), but also both to suggest, with just a two-word phrase "honestly calloused," a bit of characterization (the implication is that he works with his hands in some sort of basic, solid trade and she's of some different class, as she wears silk--which opens up all sorts of sensual questions/possibilities about the coupling) and to try to pack in physical sensation and texture to enhance the sensuality of the scene.

 

[sr71plt]

Have you thought about branching out from gay stories. You seem to have a talent for it.

Thanks, but hmmmmm, I have about forty non-gay stories on Lit., including a novelization, an E for a straight one, an E for a lesbian one, and nominations in a couple of categories in this year's superlatives for a straight one ("Blue Roses Tattoo."

You might be surprised. (I'm bi, by the way--actively).

 

[evanslily]

I'll admit that I was trying to make a few literary points, though. "He ripped off her knickers" is telling--I was trying to demonstrated what could be done rather through "showing" not only to avoid words that excluded readers (they can fill in their own understanding of what to call those silk things), but also both to suggest, with just a two-word phrase "honestly calloused," a bit of characterization (the implication is that he works with his hands in some sort of basic, solid trade and she's of some different class, as she wears silk--which opens up all sorts of sensual questions/possibilities about the coupling) and to try to pack in physical sensation and texture to enhance the sensuality of the scene.

I know you were, hon. Just playing wi'ya...

 

[sr71plt]

I know you were, hon. Just playing wi'ya...

Won't object to that.

I must tell you, though, that my mind began to race immediately on what story could be built around "dishonestly calloused fingers."

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Damn it, they'll have to wear skirts... Easy access that way, right?

Over the desk, and as the paddle falls for the fiftieth time, "Oh Sir, I will never do it again."