Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US, also skivvie drawers, skivvs) men’s underwear, esp. underpants.

1918		Nebraska State Journal (Lincoln NE) 6(?)/1: ‘Well, boys, I believe I’ll play a little golf today and not go to the office at all. I’m all run down and need a little hard physical labor,’ declares an athlete in the act of putting on his ‘skivvies.’.
1927		Danville (Va.) Bee 27 May 3/1: The U. S. Navy has a language or a ‘slanguage’ all its own. [...] underwear is ‘skivvies.’.
1937		Joe Archibald ‘Crash on Delivery’ in Flying Aces Nov. 🌐 The Jerry brass hats [...] were satisfied to escape with even their skivvies.
1948		J. Archibald ‘Klump a la Carte’ Popular Det. July 🌐 The deadline on most of them [i.e. final demands] were as close to him as his skivvies.
1953		L. Uris Battle Cry (1964) 37: A barrage of skivvies, socks, overcoats, belts, boondockers.
1958		(con. 1950) E. Frankel Band of Brothers 59: I’ve survived more seabags than you have skivvie drawers.
1966		M. Rumaker Exit 3 and Other Stories 53: It was the sailor standing there in his skivvies and socks.
1975		J. Wambaugh Choirboys (1976) 140: Can’t even stand the responsibility of changin his skivvies.
1976		Aus. Women’s Wkly 21 Apr. n.p.: [advt for a T-shirt] Bond’s Skivvies Printed interlock cotton Skivvy. Exclusive B43 Lycra reinforced neckband.
1987		R. Campbell Alice in La-La Land (1999) 18: Get your socks and skivvies and let’s get out of here.
1997–2002		Hope College ‘Dict. of New Terms’ 🌐 skivvs n. Shortened form of the word ‘skivvies,’ which is slang for underwear [...] ‘Chill baby—It’s not worth getting your skivvs in a bunch.’.
1999		E. Bunker Mr Blue 37: Silhouettes in skivvies moved through the shadows to the washroom and latrine.
2005		J. Stahl I, Fatty 100: Out flies Chaplin, skivvies at half-mast.
2011		S. Kelman Pigeon English 51: Round and round my skivvies go / [...] / A lovely hammock for my balls.
2014		T.M. Simmler ‘Suicide Chump’ in ThugLit July [ebook] ‘He hears the whistle of a train, he starts shitting his skivvies’.
2017		A. Parks Bloody January 147: He’d just managed to get his skivvies on.
2024		D. Swierczynski California Bear 11: Only then did it occur to Jack that he was wearing skivvies and nothing else.

2. a vest; esp. in the form of a skivvy shirt.

1946		T. Heggen Mister Roberts 7: It now contained a soiled skivvy shirt.
1949		Democrat & Chron. (Rochester, NY) 13 Jan. 1/4: Women Don Skivvies [...] There used to be a day when the ‘T’ or ‘skivvy’ shirt was purely a male proposition.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 55: The two guys in skivvies are Augie Luger and Hank Kraft.
2012		Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 19 May 🌐 he pulls on the famous purple skivvy.

3. women’s underwear.

1972		(con. 1950s) Jacobs & Casey Grease I vi: Gettin’ ready to show off your skivvies to a bunch of horny jocks?
1977		R. Coover Public Burning (1979) 209: Famous movie stars onstage in their skivvies.
1981		Sydney Morn. Herald 13 Apr. 2/4: Approved fashion-wise: Burgundy skivvy under black blazer.

4. (US) a miniskirt or dress.

1975

L.A. Times 24 Feb. 39/2: Adolfo [...] brought his ‘skivvies’ to town [...] his north of the knee creations at Saks Fifth Avenue [...] Lee Radziwill [...] bought her mini directly from Adolfo.