Short for Knickerbockers, referring to loose-fitting breeches or the New York Knicks basketball team. Also British slang for underwear.
From Dutch settlers in New York called Knickerbockers, after the fictional character Diedrich Knickerbocker in Washington Irving's writings. The clothing term came from their distinctive pants style.
The New York Knicks are named after the Dutch colonists who founded New Amsterdam (later New York), making them one of the few sports teams named after colonial clothing. Washington Irving's fictional Knickerbocker character became so associated with old New York that it gave a name to both underwear and basketball.
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