# 'a' scissors? not just 'Scissors' **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 5, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597 "2011-08-05T14:44:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/1 "2011-08-05T14:44:14Z")
Since I’ve moved to the northern midwest, I find people refering to the implement to cut paper with ‘a’ scissors. I’ve always referred to it in the plural…a pair of scissors, or some scissors. This to me is like a pair of pants, or some pants…I don’t refer to it as ‘a pants’ So saying ‘a scissors’ does grate on me a bit. what do you say and where are you from. And if it is singular for you, do you even notice the rest of the world calling it ‘a pair of scissors?’ I realize my locations in the poll are for the US, but I’ve added one option for any other location ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/2 "2011-08-05T14:58:20Z")
“The” scissors. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/3 "2011-08-05T15:14:20Z")
I voted a pair of scissors but the scissors is equally valid. More likely however is Where the hell are the goddamned scissors this time?? Location: Canada ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/4 "2011-08-05T15:31:04Z")
I call it a pair of scissors or the scissors, and I’m in Pittsburgh. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/5 "2011-08-05T15:31:27Z")
“The scissors,” “a pair of scissors,” even “some scissors.” (“Hey, could you get me some scissors?” to a coworker, or something.) Never “a scissors.” Central Indiana. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/6 "2011-08-05T15:38:45Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > I’ve always referred to it in the plural…a pair of scissors, or some scissors. If you say “a pair of scissors” it’s not really plural, because the head noun is “pair.” Things can be processed as “plural” psychologically, even though they’re grammatically singular, so when you hear someone say, “There are **a lot** of people here,” it sounds okay, even though technically, to agree in number, one would say “There’s a lot of people here.” ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/7 "2011-08-05T15:45:17Z")
And enough with people talking about makeup and saying shit like “That’s such a bold red lip!” Yeah, and the other one is green. My friend went to visit some relatives (under protest) and her cousin-in-law was showing her some clothes she’d bought and saying something about “Ordinarily I wouldn’t wear a pant like this.” My friend was ready to kick her in the asses. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/8 "2011-08-05T16:15:23Z")
I’ve never heard “a scissors”, only “a scissor” (no S) or “pair of scissors”, and I’m pretty much equally likely to use either of them. So, none of the above on your poll. Also from the northern midwest, where we play Duck, Duck, Grey Duck, eat hotdish, and generally talk funny anyway. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/9 "2011-08-05T16:24:55Z")
One scissor doesn’t do much good, unless you want to cut something. You need a pair. They work together. Oddly, when I ask someone for “the scissors” they never bring me all the scissors, only one pair. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/10 "2011-08-05T20:44:12Z")
I voted a pair of scissors, but I have been known to say “the scissors” and also “some scissors”. And if you don’t like the way I say it, I will poke you with them, or it. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/11 "2011-08-05T21:31:45Z")
> [@Student\_Driver](#): > > “The scissors,” “a pair of scissors,” even “some scissors.” (“Hey, could you get me some scissors?” to a coworker, or something.) Never “a scissors.” … Ditto. From here and there, Western US. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/12 "2011-08-05T22:31:36Z")
you shear with a shears you scis with a scissors ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/13 "2011-08-05T22:34:49Z")
A scissor, the scissors, some scissors. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/14 "2011-08-05T23:48:55Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > “The” scissors. Another vote for ‘the’ scissors. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/15 "2011-08-06T01:09:31Z")
cool how the only two votes so far for “a” scissors, is in the upper midwest. I should do a follow up and see where its centered. Milwaukee? St. Paul? Duluth? Da U-P? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/16 "2011-08-06T11:14:21Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > “The” scissors. Yes, that was what I was going to say. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/17 "2011-08-06T11:21:27Z")
After reading this thread, “scissors” has degenerated into a meaningless jumble of letters. ---
**Author:** ![QuercusMax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/8baadc/32.png) [@QuercusMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuercusMax)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-scissors-not-just-scissors/591597/18 "2011-08-06T11:37:05Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > After reading this thread, “scissors” has degenerated into a meaningless jumble of letters. And the pronunciation… sizzerzzsizzerzsizzezrsessrzz. Sounds like somebody using a weed whacker.