The word comes from the name of a stock figure in the commedia dell’arte, a form of Italian comic theater popular throughout Europe from about the 16th to the mid-18th century. Pantalone, as he was called, was a greedy, lecherous, scheming old man who often ended up being duped and humiliated.
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What does pants mean in British slang?
(UK, slang) Rubbish; something worthless. You’re talking pants!
Was pants a dirty word in England?
Well, technically it still is, because over here “pants” are what you wear under trousers. Obviously it’s not swear word of the century, but it’s more “dirty” than it is in ‘Murika.
Why do British people call things pants?
In British English, pants means underpants or, informally, nonsense. In American English, pants means trousers; the singular form is used as adjective. [BrEn] He thought we were going to be absolute pants.
What do they call pants in England?
Trousers
| British English | American English |
|---|---|
| Trousers | Pants |
| Pants / Underwear / Knickers | Underwear / panties |
| briefs/underpants | shorts/jockey shorts |
| Jumper / Pullover / Sweater / Jersey | Sweater |
What do they call pants in Ireland?
trousers
When we says pants, we mean trousers, but you think we mean undies.
Why do we say pants and not pant?
Pants are a singular object. Then why do we say “pants” instead of “pant”? It’s a common vagary of the English language that pants—or trousers, slacks, khakis, shorts—is always presented as a plural. It’s never pant, but rather a pair of pants.
Why was pants considered a dirty word?
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.”
Who wore pants first man or woman?
The oldest pair of preserved trousers ever discovered were dated from about 1200 to 900 BC and were thought to have been worn by both male and female horse riders. In the 1700s women like Hannah Snell donned pants and took on secret identities so they could fight alongside men in battles.
What do British call shorts?
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 is the British word for diaper?
Nappy
Diaper is what they use in North America, and Nappy is the word used in the UK & Ireland, Australia, NZ and many other Commonwealth countries.
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 Irish guys call their girlfriends?
Mot – Girlfriend, wife, or any other kind of romantic female partner. Dote – If someone calls you a ‘dote’ or if something is ‘dotey’, it means you’re cute, adorable, etc.
What words can’t Irish people say?
Irish people famously struggle with their pronunciation of words beginning with ‘th’. ‘This’, ‘that’, ‘these’ and ‘those’, are transformed into ‘dis’, ‘dat’, ‘dese’ and ‘dose’.
- Arctic.
- Specifically.
- Film.
- Etcetera.
- Vehicle.
- Mischievous.
- Quinoa.
- Prostate.
What do Irish call babies?
Bairn is a Northern English, Scottish English and Scots term for a child. It originated in Old English as “bearn”, becoming restricted to Scotland and the North of England c.
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.
Why do we say a pair of knickers?
Knickers in the 19th Century
Today we still say a pair of knickers. That is because in the early 19th-century women’s underwear consisted of two separate legs joined at the waist. They really were a ‘pair’ of knickers.
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 you call pants in America?
I understand English English speakers use the word pants, but in America, pants are trousers. : r/EnglishLearning. Advertisement.
Why do females wear tight pants?
Women embrace tight clothing as something that will enhance the curves of their body and make them appear more attractive to the opposite sex. The tight clothing that women are purchasing today consist of tight jeans with quite a low waist, accompanied by a tight top that shows off their breasts.
How do you know when a girl wants to get in your pants?
“If she’s sitting with her legs crossed and her top leg is slightly swinging, or if her foot is pointed toward him, she’s attracted,” says Maresca-Kramer. If you notice this happening, return the gesture by mimicking her posture. Turning your hips towards her is a great signal that the feeling is mutual.