Words at Play : Top 10 Odd Words for Underwear
Knickers is actually a standard word for underwear, mainly in Britain, but we include it here because of its surprising connection to professional basketball.
"Knickers" derives from "knickerbockers," or "loose-fitting short pants gathered at the knee." Because the city's early Dutch settlers wore those pants, "New Yorkers" became known as "Knickerbockers."
And The Knickerbockers, of course – more commonly "The Knicks" – is the name of New York's NBA team.
More Words at Play
