Going Commando
Did this phrase pre-date the Friends episode that popularized it?
Friends S3E2, “The One Where No One is Ready”
Yes, this phrase predates Season 3, Episode 2 of Friends, entitled The One Where No One is Ready, which first aired on September 26, 1996.
As slang, the phrase “going commando” to refer to not wearing underwear has been dated back to the 70s.
Its exact origins are murky. It might refer to the fact that “commandos” survived in the field for so long without basic hygiene, that they didn’t bother with frivolous things like the wearing of undergarments.
(I can personally confirm this, from a conversation I had once with a Vietnam veteran who endured many long-range patrols. He said that they never wore underwear in the field. It was just one more thing to get dirty and didn’t really help with anything.)
Why I Looked It Up
I saw a reference to the episode in a meme. I got to wondering.