[GalFisk] I'll be brief

[GalFisk]

If we were in the UK, you'd wear underpants.

[hominid]

"You"=impersonal you? Me, as the reader? Us, as the readers? A specific person who is a character in the puzzle? Multiple people, who are characters in the puzzle?

"We"=inclusive we? Exclusive we? Are you, GalFisk, included?

Is the "you" person actually not wearing underpants? Or are they wearing clothes over their underpants? If "we" were in the UK, would "you" be wearing other clothes? Or just underpants?

[GalFisk]

"You"=impersonal you? Me, as the reader? Us, as the readers? A specific person who is a character in the puzzle? Noish/yope, DOYD. Multiple people, who are characters in the puzzle? No to the rest.

"We"=inclusive we? Yes. Exclusive we? So no. Are you, GalFisk, included? Yes.

Is the "you" person actually not wearing underpants? Correct. Or are they wearing clothes over their underpants? No. If "we" were in the UK, would "you" be wearing other clothes? No. Or just underpants? No, but...

[hominid]

Is the "you" person naked? Is it possible to tell from looking at them that they're not wearing underpants?

"UK"=United Kingdom (just to be sure)?

Relevant what country they're in if they're not in the UK? Is a UK law relevant? UK history? UK geography? A cultural thing? A linguistic thing? Would it work in every part of the UK?

[GalFisk]

Is the "you" person naked? Yesish, FAIs it possible to tell from looking at them that they're not wearing underpants? Yes.

"UK"=United Kingdom (just to be sure)? Yes.

Relevant what country they're in if they're not in the UK? No. Is a UK law relevant? UK history? UK geography? A cultural thing? A linguistic thing? Cultural/linguistic I'd say. No to the others. Would it work in every part of the UK? I believe so.

[hominid]

Is "you" a person at all? Are they some other kind of animal? A domestic animal? Wild animal? Inanimate object? Adult? Male? Female?

[GalFisk]

Is "you" a person at all? No. Are they some other kind of animal? A domestic animal? This. Wild animal? Inanimate object? Adult? Male? Female? Adult Male, but irr.

[Doriana]

Domestic animal = pet? farm animal?

One specific animal? All animals of a certain kind, e.g. all dogs?

[GalFisk]

Domestic animal = pet? This. farm animal?

One specific animal? Yes. All animals of a certain kind, e.g. all dogs?

[Earnest]

pet? This. --> dog? cat? Bird? Horse? Others?
One specific animal? Yes --> did you refer to your own pet? Did someone refer to a specific pet? Or maybe to the statue of a pet? to a charachter of a story? a picture in a book? an image? a cartoon? a real pet?

Would underwear's be wore to cover the pet's nudities? To prevent the pet from doing their businesses in a specific place (e.g. in a building? inside house? elsewhere?)? Would the animal be forced to wear underpants? By his/her owner? During a specific event? Or is it a joke to say something like in UK everyone is so polite and formal that also pet would wear underpants? I don't know if it is quite bad word since I am not that expert in slang but...is "going commando" relevant here?

Is any pun involved? A pun with: knickers? pants? underclothes? undies? others?
Are kilts relevant at all?

[GalFisk]

pet? This. --> dog? cat? Bird? Horse? Others? This.
One specific animal? Yes --> did you refer to your own pet? Assume yes (it's my stepdaughter's pet, but irr). Did someone refer to a specific pet? See prev. Or maybe to the statue of a pet? to a charachter of a story? a picture in a book? an image? a cartoon? No to all. a real pet? Yes.

Would underwear's be wore to cover the pet's nudities? To prevent the pet from doing their businesses in a specific place (e.g. in a building? inside house? elsewhere?)? Would the animal be forced to wear underpants? By his/her owner? During a specific event? No to all. Or is it a joke to say something like in UK everyone is so polite and formal that also pet would wear underpants? No, that's not it. I don't know if it is quite bad word since I am not that expert in slang but...is "going commando" relevant here? No.

Is any pun involved? I don't think it's a pun, but OTRT. A pun with: knickers? pants? underclothes? undies? others? This.
Are kilts relevant at all? No.

[Doriana]

Is it a mammal? If so, bunny? mouse? rat? guinea pig? hamster? chinchilla?
Is it a reptile? If so, lizard? snake?
Is it a fish?
Something else? Spider? Tarantula? Scorpion?

Is the pet's name relevant?

[GalFisk]

Is it a mammal? If so, bunny? mouse? rat? This - it's a pet rat. guinea pig? hamster? chinchilla?
Is it a reptile? If so, lizard? snake?
Is it a fish?
Something else? Spider? Tarantula? Scorpion?

Is the pet's name relevant? Yesish - a nickname.

[Doriana]

Is the pet's nickname in any way related to underpants?

[GalFisk]

Is the pet's nickname in any way related to underpants? It would be in the UK.

[Doriana]

Relevant that underpants are often referred to as just pants in UK English? Is the rat's nickname Pants?

[GalFisk]

Relevant that underpants are often referred to as just pants in UK English? Is the rat's nickname Pants? No to both. OTRT.

[Doriana]

Another synonym for underpants relevant?

[GalFisk]

Another synonym for underpants relevant? Yes or yope, explore.

[Doriana]

A specific type of underpants relevant? Is the pet's nickname in a language other than English, but sounds like an English word for underpants?

[GalFisk]

A specific type of underpants relevant? Yes. Is the pet's nickname in a language other than English, Yes, but... but sounds like an English word for underpants? No, it'd need to be translated.

[Doriana]

Boxer shorts relevant? Boxer briefs? Briefs? Thongs? Long johns?

[GalFisk]

Boxer shorts relevant? Boxer briefs? Briefs? This. Thongs? Long johns?

[Doriana]

Relevant that "brief" means letter in some other European languages?

[GalFisk]

Relevant that "brief" means letter in some other European languages? No.
Hint: it may help to learn more about the rat.

[Doriana]

Fur color relevant? Fur markings? Age? Habits? Preferences? Disabilities?

[GalFisk]

Fur color relevant? Fur markings? This, no to the rest. Age? Habits? Preferences? Disabilities?

[Doriana]

Does the rat have fur markings that look like he's wearing briefs?

[GalFisk]

Does the rat have fur markings that look like he's wearing briefs? No, then he'd be wearing them in any language.

[Doriana]

Is the nickname based on the fur markings? Do the fur markings look like something that translates to both this thing and "briefs" in English?

[GalFisk]

Is the nickname based on the fur markings? Yes. Do the fur markings look like something that translates to both this thing and "briefs" in English? Not exactly, but explore. Also, English in general doesn't suffice.

[Doriana]

British English relevant in particular? Is a British English synonym for "briefs" relevant?

[GalFisk]

British English relevant in particular? Is a British English synonym for "briefs" relevant? Yes to both.

[Doriana]

Googlepedia allowed at this point?

[GalFisk]

Googlepedia allowed at this point? once you figure out the marking.

[Doriana]

Does the marking resemble an object? another animal? a geometric shape? a heart?

[GalFisk]

Does the marking resemble an object? another animal? a geometric shape? Niosh. a heart? No to the rest.

[Doriana]

Is the rat striped?

Does the marking resemble a symbol? a letter? a number?

[GalFisk]

Is the rat striped?

Does the marking resemble a symbol? a letter? This, no to the rest. a number?

[Doriana]

Is the letter a synonym for briefs in British English? Because of their shape (as in t-shirt)?

[GalFisk]

Is the letter a synonym for briefs in British English? Because of their shape (as in t-shirt)?

***SPOILER***
His actual name is "Tumvanten" (Thumb mitten). He has a marking in the shape of the letter Y on his stomach, so we call him "Y-mage" (Y-stomach). But if we were in the UK, he'd probably bee known as Y-front instead, which would in turn quickly mutate to Captain Underpants. Nice solve Doriana, and thanks for playing too, Hominid and Earnest.


From Wikipedia, about briefs:

In North America, "jockey shorts" or "jockeys" became an often used generic term for men's briefs. More recently, "tighty-whiteys" has become a commonly used slang term for such briefs.

In the UK, the term "jockeys" has not caught on and briefs are often referred to as "Y-fronts" or simply "pants". The term derives from the genericized trademark "Y-Front", property of Jockey International. It in turn derives from the inverted Y-shape formed by the seams at the front of the underpants.

In Australia, briefs are referred to as "jocks".

[Doriana]

Good one! Hadn't heard of Y-fronts as a synonym for briefs before...

[GalFisk]

Thanks. I heard about it in the (hilarious) book "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
I'll try to take a picture and post it when he's more docile. It's evening now, and the three nocturnal nutters are running and climbing around like caffeinated children - Tumvanten, Lucifer, and to some extent Yoda (the senior rat).

[Earnest]

Cool one!

[GalFisk]

Here he is.