drawers
Underwear. Plain as that.
Also called underdrawers.
Updated September 21, 2026
drawers pronunciation
/DRAW-erz/
Meaning
What you wear under your pants, said the rural Southern way. Mama still says "clean drawers" when she packs a bag. You also hear "got his drawers in a wad" when somebody is worked up. Outside the South it can sound old-fashioned; on a porch or in a trailer park laundry room it is just the normal word.
How folks use it
- “Pack clean drawers before you head to Grandma's for the weekend.”
- “He's got his drawers in a wad over that parking spot again.”
Origin and etymology
From the verb "draw," as in clothes you draw on. English has used it for under-leggings since the late 1500s. In Southern and Appalachian talk it stuck as everyday speech for underwear long after other regions moved on to "underwear" or "panties."
Frequently asked questions
Is drawers only for long underwear?
Not in Southern talk. It covers regular underwear too, not just long johns.