Lol, It's so funny how the same word can mean different things! Those golf 'knickers' are seriously umm bright!! In the UK underpants are the male version of 'intimate apparel', whereas pants are the female version! I'm really curious now, what are they called in the USA?
LOL I know what you mean! Where I live, 'underwear' is the universal, gender-neutral word for the garments that either men or women wear underneath their clothes, whether the garment be a bra, an undershirt, underpants or pants/panties.
When we want to be more specific about it, it's like Susie said- men's underpants are referred to as either boxers or shorts ( after the style that boxers wear in the ring), or briefs, otherwise known around my area as '******-tighties' because they are form-fitting instead of loose like boxers. lol Women's underpants are referred to as panties.
IrishLass