# Do you use the word Britches or Trousers for pants? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 22, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198 "2014-08-22T13:29:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/1 "2014-08-22T13:29:55Z")
I often say britches in informal conversation.\* I’m washing a load of laundry so I’ll have clean britches to wear next week.\* **I wouldn’t say** , “I bought some britches today”. _I bought some pants today_ sounds better. I’ve heard people in other parts of the US say trousers. Do you use the words britches or trousers in certain contexts? I’m curious if britches is a regional expression? I live in the South. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/2 "2014-08-22T13:32:26Z")
Personally, I’d never say either, but (at least in the midwest) I’ve only heard trousers (and it’s only ‘old people’ saying it). The only time I’ve ever heard britches, it’s a Briticism. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/3 "2014-08-22T13:32:39Z")
Not part of my vocabulary, and I’m also in the south. I say “pants,” “jeans,” “slacks,” or “khakis” to denote different flavors of pants. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/4 "2014-08-22T13:39:49Z")
For some reason corduroy trousers sounds better to me than corduroy pants. But I only say britches when I sing that silly song. You know, ♪Matthew, Mark, Luke and John went to bed with their trousers on. John got up in the middle of the night and said his britches were too tight…♫ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/5 "2014-08-22T13:46:31Z")
Parents often admonish their kids by saying, you’re getting too big for your britches. My daughters know that expression all too well. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/6 "2014-08-22T13:53:56Z")
I grew up in Georgia, and people said “britches” at the time. I rarely hear it anymore, but I still say it myself because it sounds naughty. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/7 "2014-08-22T14:04:03Z")
I had to vote “Other”, because I live in the UK and therefore _always_ say “trousers”. ---
**Author:** ![AnaMen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@AnaMen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnaMen)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/8 "2014-08-22T14:07:58Z")
I’ve known some rural folks who used “britches” to refer to underwear, not pants. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/9 "2014-08-22T14:11:32Z")
Of course I say trousers: I’m British and pants are what we wear underneath! ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/10 "2014-08-22T14:21:18Z")
I say britches sometimes when I use my full-blown, over the top, Texas accent. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/11 "2014-08-22T14:30:55Z")
I use the words **trousers** and **pants** interchangeably. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/12 "2014-08-22T14:36:10Z")
Only pants here. I live in the South. Britches is sort of a “joke” word. People occasionally say “trousers” but it sounds sort of pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/13 "2014-08-22T14:46:56Z")
I mostly say trousers (or jeans). I almost never say pants, that seems to me a primarily American term. Daks, slacks, trews, and strides are also common slang my Mum used to use (and probably still does). ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/14 "2014-08-22T15:05:39Z")
Britches more than trousers. It’s what I call what you call “short pants”. If I tell me wife “toss a couple pairs or britches in my suitcase” I know I’ll find my docker cargo pocket short pants when I get to my destination. (Of course, being into Living History I have knee-britches as well but --------- ) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/15 "2014-08-22T15:10:08Z")
I think of britches as an old fogey term, and trousers as a bit stuffy. Pants is a much simpler term. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/16 "2014-08-22T15:53:17Z")
My personal nomenclature for garments that cover the waist-to-ankle portion of the adult human being ranks in approximate frequency, high to low: 1. pants 2. slacks 3. britches 4. trousers 5. jeans ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/17 "2014-08-22T15:58:19Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Personally, I’d never say either, but (at least in the midwest) I’ve only heard trousers (and it’s only ‘old people’ saying it). The only time I’ve ever heard britches, it’s a Briticism. British people don’t use the term ‘britches’. _Breeches_, however, are a specific type of garment you wear to ride a horse. They differ from jodhpurs in that they wrap around your calf so they can fit snuggle inside your boot, whereas jodhpurs are ankle length for wearing with short jodhpur boots. I only know this startling piece of info because my father was a riding wear manufacturer. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/18 "2014-08-22T16:04:04Z")
Native Californian. “Britches” sounds unspeakably hick to my ears. If another Californian said “trousers” I’d think they were a poseur (as I do when they say “whinge”). ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/19 "2014-08-22T16:08:31Z")
I voted that I only said pants, but I do say slacks or jeans sometimes, if appropriate. Britches sounds like it came from breeches which you wear to ride horses. But I don’t know if that’s it’s origin or not. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198/20 "2014-08-22T16:56:11Z")
Lifelong Californian: I only say “pants.” I agree with **woodstockbirdybird** that “britches” sounds hick, and “trousers” sounds pretentious if you’re American. I sometimes say “jeans” or “cargos” to differentiate the types. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-word-britches-or-trousers-for-pants/696198.md?page=2)