Going commando

For the video game, see Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando.

Team CSC going commando at Rund um den Henninger-Turm

Going commando (or to go commando) is the practice of not wearing underwear under one's outer clothing.

Scope and synonyms

In American slang, this phenomenon is also referred to as going Indian, freeballing (in the case of men not wearing underwear), and freebuffing (in the case of women). Going without underwear is said to have certain benefits. Dr. Caroline F. Pukall of Queens University states that going without underwear while sleeping can have significant benefits to the vulva.^[1] It is also said that tight underwear decreases sperm count in men, and it is recommended to wear more loose fitting clothing around the genitals.^[2] These articles do confirm the belief that underwear can cause significant problems, which reaffirms the views of those who practice going commando. Traditional cycling shorts are designed to be worn without underwear: the chamois crotch is more effective in reducing chafing if it touches the skin directly. This is less true of some of the garments called bike shorts, which look similar but lack the lining. Going commando appears to be an increasingly popular practice. A 2004 study of 7,000 people by the New York-based clothier Freshpair revealed that 9% of men and 7% of women go commando day-to-day. Those who do so semiregularly are much more numerous, possibly around 25-30%, and most people have tried it at some point. In the United Kingdom, the adverbial use of "commando" is a relatively recent phenomenon but increasingly common. The phrase and phenomenon is often used in a declaratory way ("I'm goin' commando!"), particularly by women to covertly create a frisson of sexual excitement or amusement amongst friends, sexual partners, future sexual partners, etc. Modern British social mores generally recognise "going commando" as a "playful" behaviour (akin to a mild form of exhibitionism), and one that does not necessarily demonstrate an overtly sexual invitation. Notably, in Chile the act of not wearing underwear has been called "andar a lo gringo" ("go about as the Americans") for decades.^[3][4]

Earliest uses

Slate's Daniel Engber dates the modern usage to 1974 college campuses, where it was perhaps an outgrowth of the Vietnam War.^[5]

The origins of the phrase are uncertain, with some speculating that it may refer to being "out in the open" or "ready for action." According to Engber many soldiers do go without underwear to "increase ventilation and reduce moisture." The earliest known use of the term in print is 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".

The origin of the term "going commando" may connect to the tradition in military units of Scottish heritage to not wear underwear under their kilts. The first Commando units were raised and trained in World War II in Scotland (which is where the present-day Commando Monument is). It is said that Scottish soldiers once used the expression "regimental," to describe the state of wearing no shorts under a kilt; allegedly, Scottish drill instructors carried a long stick with a mirror on the end to verify that soldiers were properly regimental. In the British Forces, the term 'going commando' actually refers to not washing and generally being dirty, as Royal Marine Commandos and other elite regiments tend to have a reputation of doing when on exercise, or on patrol.

See also

• Upskirt

References

External links

• Freeballers of America. Retrieved on 2006-12-23.
• Beatnik Turtle's Song "Going Commando"
• "We're About To Go Commando--Welcome To The Yongle" on My Errant Mind. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.