Why Do Americans Say Drawers?

The word drawers has been used since the 16th century to refer to garments such as stockings, underpants, and pants. It comes from the verb draw used in the sense of pull, probably because you pull them up your legs.

What does drawers mean in America?

drawers in American English
(drɔrz ) plural noun. an undergarment, long or short, for the lower part of the body, with a separate opening for each leg; underpants.

What do Americans call drawers?

Bear in mind that there can be differences in the choice of specific terms depending on dialect and region within both the USA and the UK.
British vs American Vocabulary.

What does drawers mean in slang?

Underpants
(dated or regional, informal) Underpants, especially long underpants. (slang) Any clothing covering the legs, such as shorts, trousers, or tights.

Why do people say draws instead of drawers?

This usage originated from old-fashioned undergarments, which featured two separate legs that you would put on by ‘drawing’ them up and tying them in place. This is also why we still use plural terms, such as ‘pants’ or ‘trousers’, to refer to clothing that covers our legs! A pair of ‘drawers’.

Do Americans call it a chest of drawers?

A chest of drawers, also called (especially in North American English) a dresser or a bureau, is a type of cabinet (a piece of furniture) that has multiple parallel, horizontal drawers generally stacked one above another.

Do Americans say drawer?

So what’s with “draw?” To be fair to my New York friends, most Americans pronounce “drawer” in an “illogical” way. The word technically has two morphemes (smallest units of meaning): draw + er, suggesting a container that can be “drawn” out**. But many pronounce it as if it rhymed with “lore” (i.e. had one morpheme).

Why do Brits say floor instead of ground?

“Floor” was an archaic word for “ground” centuries ago. And according to the Oxford English Dictionary, “floor” has been used in the game of cricket to refer to the ground (but this must be an uncommon usage, since it doesn’t currently appear in any standard British dictionaries).

What do British people call sink?

British vs American English American vs British English

How do New Yorkers say drawers?

In the classic New York accent, it’s basically pronounced the same as “draw.” An approximation of it is /dʒɹoə/, with the “dr” being pronounced as if it is “jr” and the “er” essentially dropped. That’s pretty much how I pronounced it when I was a kid.

Do Americans say undies?

Panties (in American English, also called pants, undies or knickers in British English) are a form of women’s underwear.

What are drawers in British?

phrase [ plural ] old-fashioned. → underpants : I saw a pair of drawers on the bed.

How do Northerners say drawer?

Drawer. In most of the country, the word for an individual compartment in a dresser rhymes with the word “bore.” But in the New York City area, “drawer” gets shortened to “draw,” rhyming with “straw.”

How do people from New Jersey say drawer?

“Draw instead of Drawer”
That thing that holds clothes, junk, utensils, etc… yeah, it’s called a “draw.” Because we’re so busy here in NJ, we just don’t have time for the -er.

Why do people say chester drawers?

This may result from mishearing ‘chest of’ as ‘chester’, or perhaps people think that Chester is the name of a brand, person, manufacturer, or the place where the furniture item originated (e.g. Chester in England). Regardless of the origin, though, ‘chester drawers’ is always an error.

What do the Americans call a sofa?

Couch is predominantly used in North America, Australia, South Africa, and Ireland, whereas the terms sofa and settee (U and non-U) are most commonly used in the United Kingdom and India. The word couch originated in Middle English from the Old French noun couche, which derived from the verb meaning “to lie down”.

What do Americans call a closet?

Cupboard

What is a couch called in America?

In modern day terms, sofa is the most popular word used to describe that big, comfy piece of furniture in your living room, but the words couch and settee do mean the same thing, and are certainly interchangeable today.

Do Americans say rubber or eraser?

Rubber is a substance with various uses. A rubber is what an American would call an eraser, although they are no longer made out of rubber.

What do Americans call a fridge?

Traffic Words, Other Common Words in the US

Do Americans say refrigerator or fridge?

Actually, “fridge” is in common use everywhere in the U.S. I’ve lived. If we sometimes say “refrigerator,” it’s because syllables are inexpensive.