If my fly is down, I want to know.

December 4, 2010 3:21 PM

Is there some kind of official or everyone-knows-about-it gesture to indicate that someone has their fly open? If not, why not?

I was about to take my teenager out with his friends and then stop by a meetup happening near me tonight, and my son pointed out a wardrobe problem. He pointed it out by asking "is there a gesture to make when someone has their fly open" which was a nice bit of indirection, but it was also a good question. Are we missing out on something? And doesn't this seem like the kind of thing that should exist just to make life more livable?

posted by cgk to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (25 answers total)

Best answer: The only one I can think of is a quick pantomime of someone zipping up their own fly while looking at you pointedly.
posted by Stormfeather at 3:25 PM on December 4, 2010 [2 favorites]

back in school we used to always whisper "xyz" as code for this, but this being school and discretion not being among our interests, we'd make sure everyone already knew before we pointed it out to the exposed party.
posted by Think_Long at 3:27 PM on December 4, 2010

"XYZ" is the casual version (I heard it stands for eXamine Your Zipper).

I agree that a pointed pantomime seems to be the usual custom.
posted by muddgirl at 3:31 PM on December 4, 2010

Best I can think of is pointing your index finger at the person's waistline and sort of flicking/nudging it up. Like, "hey, you, pull that thing up."
posted by ish__ at 3:38 PM on December 4, 2010

The correct gesture is to lock eyes, then pointedly glance down to the fastening in question and back up.

The correct thing to say is: "You're flying low."
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:40 PM on December 4, 2010 [2 favorites]

Make eye contact, and then zip your own fly down.
posted by truex at 3:40 PM on December 4, 2010 [7 favorites]

It's always been "XYZ" for me. Back in school it was "XYZ PDQ BFIL" (eXamine Your Zipper Pretty Darned Quick BeFore I Look), but I'm so much more sophisticated now. Haw haw.
posted by Addlepated at 3:48 PM on December 4, 2010 [2 favorites]

I'm not aware of such a gesture. If there is one, it's not widespread enough to be useful in the context of a stranger or someone with whom you haven't previously discussed a signal.
posted by J. Wilson at 3:57 PM on December 4, 2010

XYZ is the standard code. I've also heard UFO (yoUr Fly is Open), but not as often. If there's a gesture, I don't know it. I can't even think of one that would be 1) clear 2) not obscene.
posted by zanni at 4:15 PM on December 4, 2010

When someone in my vicinity has a wardrobe malfunction, I lean and quietly say "your fly is undone", "you've tucked your petticoat into your panties", or "your breasts have escaped" because using a code can result in the person loudly saying, "what? XYZ, what are you talking about" and attracting everyone's attention.
posted by b33j at 4:37 PM on December 4, 2010 [5 favorites]

In Pittsburgh, it's "Kennywood's open."
posted by booth at 5:12 PM on December 4, 2010 [2 favorites]

nthing XYZ. it's fairly universal around here, but when someone says, "HUH? XYZ??" i just smile sweetly and say, "examine your zipper," while glancing in the offending zipper's direction.
posted by woodvine at 5:37 PM on December 4, 2010

I believe protocol is to ask "are you afraid of heights?" and if they say "no, why?" or just fail to get the hint, to loudly announce "because YOUR FLY is."
posted by salvia at 6:19 PM on December 4, 2010

Security breach at Los Pantalones!

No, I don't think there's a formalized gesture.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:31 PM on December 4, 2010 [3 favorites]

Security breach at Los Pantalones!

I am going to use that one from now on.
posted by Ratio at 6:48 PM on December 4, 2010 [3 favorites]

"Are you advertising?"

Granted, probably not practical or likely to be understood, but oh so effective at increasing the awkwardness.
posted by alhadro at 7:10 PM on December 4, 2010

XYZ? Never heard of it. Out my way it's:

HELPFUL PERSON: Did someone die?
FLY DOWN PERSON: Huh?
HELPFUL PERSON: You're flying at half mast.

Or if you're not a smartass, just a whispered "you're flying at half mast" and 99% of people will know what you mean.

Not really a gesture, but neither are the suggestions above me!
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:31 PM on December 4, 2010

Best answer: so... you need to communicate something, that something being "your zipper is down". You have some choices here, you could attempt to determine the norms that the person with the offending zipper grew up under (xyz, would mean NOTHING to me, and probably a lot of others), and begin making strange statements and gestures.

Or, how about just saying, "your zipper is down"...
posted by HuronBob at 7:48 PM on December 4, 2010 [2 favorites]

I think I once heard XYZ a long time ago but my people are more direct, would say something like "Your fly's open" but once someone told me, meaningfully, that "Steel was down 50%" along with the glance downward so if anything I'd say the only non-verbal gesture is the glance but I think we should all start using truex' method.
posted by Rash at 8:05 PM on December 4, 2010

Lean over and say "Your barn door is open."
posted by exphysicist345 at 9:08 PM on December 4, 2010

Again, not a universal gesture, but a code expression we had when I was a kid in the UK was, "There's egg on your chin." Don't seem to have heard this more recently, however.
posted by aqsakal at 12:34 AM on December 5, 2010

I'm from the western US and the people I know use both "XYZ" and "Your barn door is open." Probably no more discreet than telling someone their fly is down in those exact words, but somehow it makes us feel like we are being polite.
posted by Knowyournuts at 4:59 PM on December 5, 2010

A well-enunciated "I CAN SEE YOUR PENIS" will let them know what's up (or down, in this case)
posted by custard heart at 8:29 AM on December 6, 2010

If it's your SO with the problem, reach your hand right in and give a pat. Discreetly, of course.
posted by CathyG at 8:46 AM on December 9, 2010

"You might want to shut shop."
posted by medzmaestra at 6:15 AM on September 6, 2011