Words at Play : Top 10 Odd Words for Underwear
Using the plural noun pretties to refer to dainty things goes back at least to the 1700s.
Some early uses refer to toys and jewelry, but the word was also applied to women's lingerie.
By all rights it should be a lovely word, but because of its association with the Wicked Witch of the West ("I'll get you, my pretty!"), using it at a lingerie store today might sound a bit creepy.
More Words at Play
