Harmless enough to our ears, the shortened form pants alone was considered vulgar by some language commentators for quite some time, including Ambrose Bierce, who wrote the following in his 1909 book Write It Right about pants for trousers: “Abbreviated from pantaloons, which are no longer worn. Vulgar exceedingly.”
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Why do British people say trousers instead of pants?
Pants is the normal word in the UK. There is a difference in use of the word in different forms of English. In American English, it means what is known as trousers in the UK. If pants is used in India with the American definition, that suggests an American influence on the English learnt there.
Is it called pants or trousers?
trousers, also spelled trowsers, also called pants or slacks, an outer garment covering the lower half of the body from the waist to the ankles and divided into sections to cover each leg separately.
Where did the name trousers come from?
Attested since the 1610s, from the earlier form trouzes (attested since the 1580s), extended from trouse (1570s), with plural ending typical of things in pairs, from Middle Irish triubhas (“close-fitting shorts”), of uncertain origin.
Why are they called pants and not pant?
From its inception in English, pants has been plural. It’s a shortened adaptation of pantaloons, those tight-like leg coverings worn by pirates and Shakespearean characters. And in those eras of 300 or 400 years ago, before pants were a single entity, pants were actually two separate garments.
What do they call an umbrella in England?
brolly
In Britain, “brolly” is a popular alternative to the more staid “umbrella.” Sarah Gamp, a fictional nurse who toted a particularly large umbrella in Charles Dickens’s novel Martin Chuzzlewit, has inspired some English speakers to dub oversize versions “gamps.” “Bumbershoot” is a predominantly American nickname, one
What do the British call a sweater?
According to British dictionaries, “sweater” is used in British English in the same sense as in American English but “jumper” is commonly used instead (though some say that “sweater” is used for heavier ones worn for warmth).
What do British call pants?
Trousers
| British English | American English |
|---|---|
| Trousers | Pants |
| Pants / Underwear / Knickers | Underwear / panties |
| briefs/underpants | shorts/jockey shorts |
| Jumper / Pullover / Sweater / Jersey | Sweater |
What is trousers called in USA?
US: pants = vernacular for a garment covering your entire legs (such as jeans, slacks, sweats, etc… which are just more specific forms of the same thing). UK: trousers = vernacular for a garment covering your entire legs (such as jeans, slacks, sweats, etc… which are just more specific forms of the same thing).
Why do people say pair of trousers?
According to some, the phrase “pair of pants” harkens back to the days when what constituted pants—or pantaloons, as they were originally known—consisted of two separate items, one for each leg. They were put on one at a time and then secured around the waist.
Who first wore trousers?
The first recorded reports of trousers were made by sixth century BC Greek geographers. They noted the appearance of Persian, Eastern and Central Asian horse riders. The comfort they provided from extended periods on horseback made trousers a practical choice.
When did females start wearing pants?
1851
In the United States, Elizabeth Smith Miller designed an early version of pantslike clothing for women around 1851. It consisted of a skirt extending below the knees and loose “Turkish” trousers that gathered at the ankles, and it was worn with a short jacket on top.
Why do we say a pair of scissors?
We began calling an individual scissors a pair to emphasize the matched cutting blades. There’s precedent for it. Before we called them scissors, we called them shears, and pair was used with shears for about 100 years before scissors arrived on the scene.
What is plural of scissors?
Scissors has no plural form. We put pair of or pairs of in front of the word scissors to give it its plural form. For example: One pair of scissors.
What do British call biscuits?
Scone
Scone (UK) / Biscuit (US)
American do have things called biscuits too, but they are something completely different. These are the crumbly cakes that British people call scones, which you eat with butter, jam, sometimes clotted cream and always a cup of tea.
What words do British people use that Americans don t?
The UK and America are two nations divided by a common language.
Synonyms for British Words Americans Don’t Understand
- Fringe: Bangs.
- Jumper: Sweater.
- Trainer: Sneaker.
- Dummy: Pacifier.
- Plaster: Band-aid.
- Nappy: Diaper.
- Hole-in-the-Wall: ATM.
What do Brits call sneakers?
For example, in the United Kingdom, sneakers are known as trainers.
What do British call boots?
boot
*Watch out!* A boot can also describe a shoe and a trunk can also describe an elephant’s nose!
How much British English do you know?
| British English (Br) | American English (Am) |
|---|---|
| bill (restaurant) | rubber boots / rain boots |
| boot (car) | French fries |
| pocket money | check |
What do they call shorts in England?
The British English term, short trousers, is used, only for shorts that are a short version of ordinary trousers (i.e., pants or slacks in American English).
What do British people call cigarettes?
FAG
FAG, a brand of the Schaeffler Group. Cigarette, in British slang. Fagging, in British public schools.
Why is a bra not called a pair?
Why the plural “bodies” (and later “bodice”) for the undergarment? Not because of the dual nature of the breasts themselves, but because the garment came in two parts and was laced together. That’s probably why the modern woman doesn’t put on “a pair of bras” in the morning.