unmentionables en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Victorian Era euphemism, specifically the category of euphemism known as indirection (compare privates, behind, sleep together). First intended meaning was "trousers", attested from 1823. Meaning "underwear" is recorded from 1910.
Meanings
-
(form-of, plural, plural-only) plural of unmentionable
form of unmentionable
- (plural, plural-only) undergarments, underwear, drawers
-
(plural, plural-only) genitals
The show understands that implied nudity is worlds funnier than actual nudity, and goes to delightful lengths to keep Marge and Homer’s unmentionables out of view.
2016 January 24, Les Chappell, “TV: Review: The Simpsons (Classic), “Natural Born Kissers” (season nine, episode 25, originally aired 05/17/1998)”, in The Onion AV Club:
-
(obsolete, plural, plural-only) breeches, trousers
His little man-o'-war top and unmentionables were full of sand but Cissy was a past mistress in the art of smoothing over life's tiny troubles and and^([sic]) very quickly not one speck of sand was to be seen on his smart little suit.
1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 13: Nausicaa]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 332: