Knickers
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In the United Kingdom, Ireland and some fellow Commonwealth nations, knickers is a word for women's and sometimes mens undergarments:(depending on location) "Don't get your knickers in a twist" (i.e., "don't get all hot under the collar," or, in U.S. usage, "don't get your panties in a bunch." Australian and British usage is "don't get your knickers in a knot" or "twist"). George Cruikshank, whose illustrations are classic icons for Charles Dickens' works, also did the illustrations for Washington Irving's droll History of New York (published in 1809) when it was published in London. He showed the old-time Knickerbockers, Irving's fictitious Dutch colonial family, in their loose knee-length Dutch breeches. Consequently, by 1859 relatively short loose ladies' undergarments, a kind of abbreviated version of pantalettes or pantaloons, were known as "knickers" in England. In the United States, "knickers" refers to three-quarter length pants worn by men.
There are now many names for the undergarments that previously have been called knickers, such as panties, thongs, g-strings, briefs, shorts, tangas, etc.
Note that while the term 'knickers' refers almost exclusively to women's underwear, 'knicks', knick-knacks' and similar more masculine variations are acceptable monikers for men's underwear, particularly for young boys.
Other uses
The appellation "Tarty Knickers" has come to be applied to women who dress in a way which is ostentatious or sexually provocative.