“This album is totally pants!”
From this statement please indicate whether you understand this album to be:
A) good
or
B) bad
Please indicate your age and location, roughly, and whether this is current and/or common in your neck of the woods. I’ve become confused, you see, and I’m not that old.
It means ‘bad’.
mid-thirties
connecticut
decidedly uncommon
You need a third option © for “no idea what it means”.
I’m 27, lived in Arizona most all my life, and have heard it to mean both good AND bad, but more often than not, meaning good–although I’ve read a couple of accounts today alone (on two other sites and then one in the pit thread by VCO3 where someone says that “Myspace is pants”) that apparently mean it to be a bad thing.
So color me confused and looking for a D: “Heard it used to describe both and have no idea what the more “popular” usage is”.
It’s so-so here.
It means bad. If you said “This album is the pants” that would mean it was good, although that phrase is less common and never really took off in my experience.
Age 30, southern England. “Pants” is fairly common although rather passé, rather late-90s slang.
It means bad. I’m a 20-something year old living in Chicago, and I’ve never heard anyone use this expression other than my friend from the UK, who is Scottish but spent most of her school years in England.
Another vote for “C” in that I have no idea what it means, and I’ve never heard it used in that sense before in my life. I am early twenties and was born and grew up in D.C.
Never heard of it. Early 30s, have spent my life in Detroit and Chicago.
I’m 29 and live in Central Florida. I’ve never heard anyone use it aside from British writers (fiction, comics, movies, and TV) – it is definitely British slang for something bad.
Bad.
21, PA, I’ve heard it but I wouldn’t say it’s common around here (in fact, I think I’ve mostly heard it from Brits).
What he said except alberta, not connecticut.
Never heard of it. This area is pretty fluid though (the language, not the pants themselves, hopefully 
), and it can be complicated. Like something can be THE bollocks (very good) or just bollocks (untrue or false). I’ve never heard of something being “pants”. I have recently heard “pants” as a verb synonymous with “own/pwn” on the internet. A person retiring defeated and licking their wounds from a flame fest can be said to have been thoroughly “pantsed”.
B. bad (30/NH)
You know it’s British, right? No one uses it around here. I only know what things like that and “slated” mean because a lot of people I have known online are British and young.
I believe it refers to “underpants” and is therefore meant as “bad”.
Late 30s, Australia, and I only hear it from UK immigrants or tourists.
Without looking at other responses, I’m going with good (mostly b/c of presence of totally, however). Edit: I misunderstood the OP; I have no idea what it means but I would have assumed it meant good.
30
Toronto
never heard it before in my life. Frankly, I think it’s ridiculous
Without looking at the other responses first:
Put me with the 
crowd.
If I had to guess… “That album is pants” means it’s a bad album.
Then again, I am still trying to figure out how “That’s totally sick” = “That totally rocks”
(31/ F/ Las Vegas)
Well, it’s just not very good is it? It’s a load of cods.
Male, 35, Boston area, and I’m the only person I know who uses it. And even then it’s typically when I write. I rarely say it because no one will know what I’m on about.
Of course I lived in Britain from 1975 to 1986. It probably helps to know that pants, in UK terminology, is underwear, where as what we call pants in the States are “trousers.”
Weird people, those Brits.
In that sentence, pants would mean bad. I’ve never heard it be used to mean something is good.
I’m 26, female, TN, and would never use ‘pants’ in that way in normal conversation. I only know about it from English friends and British comedy.
-Lil
I’m 68 and from NE Mississippi. I know nothing about such a use for the word “pants” and frankly can’t believe I’ve read all that I have about it. :rolleyes:
Never heard or seen it in print or on the net. Humm, I must not get out that much.
I would not have had any idea at all.
45, grew up in Utah but I’ve lived in Tokyo for the last 17 years, so I still talk 80s slang.