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Green’s Dictionary of Slang

never-mentionables n.

also oh-no- we-never-whisper-’ems, never-mention-ems, never-whisperables

[the supposed ‘obscenity’ of the garment; cf. unmentionables n.]

(Aus./UK) trousers.

1842		Wkly Rake (NY) 9 July n.p.: Can you not picture in your mind’s eye, the thing-a-mee’s which may rest against it [i.e. a corset], or the Oh-we-never-mention=’ems which may peer up from their close cells?
1849		Sam Sly 31 Mar. 1/1: Broughton is adorned with a pair of bright blue oh-no- we-never-whisper-’ems, and Slack is in a pair of scarlet con- tinuations.
1850		Bell’s Life in Sydney 27 Apr. 2/6: A pair of neverwhisperables which had once set off the muscular lower portions of a Cutler.
1852		Bell’s Life in Sydney 19 June 2/7: The hat, coat, never-mentionables, belt, staff and handcuffs of a legitimate member of the protective force.
1857		Bell’s Life in Sydney 15 Aug. 3/2: Immediately on putting on my ‘oh no-we-never-mention-’ems’ on the following morning [...] I experienced severe irritation.
1860		Bell’s Life in Sydney 4 Feb. 3/3: A pair of superb extra superfine double milled cashmere ‘ohnowenevermentionems’.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 23 Apr. 8/4: The girl with the ‘door-mat’ hair and cardinal ‘oh-we-never-mention-’ems’.