The English We Speak – Words for underwear

Neil
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak with me Neil…

Li
…and me Li. Hello.

Neil
In this programme, we’re talking about clothes.

Li
Clothes! Oh My favourite subject in the whole world! I know all the designers, I try different styles… I love clothes! Let’s talk about MY clothes.

Neil
Well… actually I thought we should talk about our smalls.

Li
Smalls?! Do you think my clothes are too small for me? Are you calling me fat?

Neil
No, Li. You look fine. ‘Smalls’ is a word we use for underwear.

Li
Smalls. So you are talking about women’s knickers and men’s underpants, socks, women’s bras…

Neil
Yes. And we can refer to our underwear as ‘smalls’ or ‘undies’.

Li
Undies. That’s easy to remember because it refers to what we wear under our clothes – undies.

Neil
Two easy words to remember when you talk about underwear. And remember they are always plural.

Li
I see. So you don’t say ‘one small’ or one ‘undy’.

Neil
No, you don’t. Smalls and undies are always used in the plural and they mean underwear. Now let’s hear some examples of how these words are used.

Examples
Linda, hurry up or we’ll miss the plane! Don’t forget to pack your smalls!

Billy, don’t walk around the house in your undies. Your granny is coming to visit and she’ll be here at any time.

Neil
Now don’t forget that these words for underwear are very informal and British slang.

Li
Well, smalls and undies can look good too, even if not many people will see them.

Neil
So you want to talk about fashion now.

Li
Of course. I love fashion! Do you love fashion, Neil?

Neil
Er… not so much…

Li
Come on, Neil. Let’s go shopping! I can help you choose the trendiest clothes… you’ve got to have a style. Let’s go! Come on!

Neil
Okay.

Both
Bye!