Underpants? Nah.. Who Needs ‘Em
Getting ready for bed last night, my four year old son Jack and I had the following exchange:
“Mommy, I’m going to go Nemo!”
“Nemo? What’s Nemo?”
“Nemo! It means no underpants!”
“Oh! You mean ‘Commando’”
“YES! Commmmmmaaaannnnndo!”
“Awesome.”
Last week, over our spring break vacation, the laundry had piled up and apparently I had not packed enough underwear for my four year old son. As he was getting ready for bed, he was upset that he had no batman/spiderman/diego emblazoned undies to wear. My husband calmed him immediately by saying, “Don’t worry Jack, you can ‘go commando!”
He LOVED the idea.
Of course Jack was no stranger to ‘going commando’, at bath time it is not uncommon for me to be overheard saying: “WHERE ARE YOUR UNDERPANTS?!” To which Jack just flashes that mischievous little grin of his and says: “I didn’t wear any!!”
And there was the time when the school sent him home wearing ‘emergency’ underpants. Due to his easy access, he’d been a little ‘distracted’ during storytime. That was a proud moment.
He just opts not to wear them and now that he has a new term that he loves saying he’s justified in NOT wearing any.
So I wondered last night as he proclaimed his new clothing choice, where on earth did the term “going commando” come from? Obviously, there is some sort of military tie-in, but what is it? So here’s the answer…
The Online Etymology Dictionary says “Phrase ‘going commando’ meaning “not wearing underwear” attested by 1996, U.S. slang.”
Wikipedia says : “”Going commando” is reputed to have begun with commando and other special forces military units, in which some soldiers stopped wearing underwear to prevent chafing. The term is probably related to the much earlier term “going regimental”, which refers to wearing the kilt military style, that is, without underwear.”
“The origins of the phrase are uncertain, with some speculating that it may refer to being “out in the open” or “ready for action”. Slate magazine’s Daniel Engber dates the modern usage to college campuses circa 1974, where it was perhaps associated with soldiers in the Vietnam War, who were reputed to go without underwear to “increase ventilation and reduce moisture.” The earliest known use of the term in print occurred on January 22, 1985 when Jim Spencer wrote in the Chicago Tribune “Furthermore, colored briefs are ‘sleazy’ and going without underwear (“going commando”, as they say on campus) is simply gross”.”
And now you know, and as GI Joe would say: “Knowing is half the battle!” Gotta run and go check my kid’s wearing underpants today….
I get a laugh along with a bit of knowledge every time I visit here. Either that or total wacko Britiah royalty shit.
ha ha. c’mon admit it- you are secretly converting to a Royals Supah Fan.