unmentionables

== English == === 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. === Pronunciation === === Noun === unmentionables pl (plural only) plural of unmentionable (plural only) undergarments, underwear, drawers (plural only) genitals (plural only, obsolete) breeches, trousers ==== Usage notes ==== Because of a euphemism's intentional ambiguity, the perceived meaning can drift. While at first, "unmentionables" referred with Victorian hyper-sensitivity to trousers, the functional meaning drifted expediently to underwear. Currently, examples can be found where it is clear the writer or speaker means to refer expressly to the genitals.