# What is the deal with pants? I just don't get it. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 9, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593 "2002-12-09T20:15:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/1 "2002-12-09T20:15:42Z")
Why is it “a pair” of pants, when it’s one article of clothing. Were pants legs ever separate pieces of clothing? Do other languages refer to trousers as “a pair” or “two,” or is it singular? ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/2 "2002-12-09T20:19:07Z")
Archive… Why do we say a “pair of pants” when there’s only one of them? URL: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_249b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_249b.html) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/3 "2002-12-09T20:20:55Z")
How embarrassing. I searched only GQ, not the archives. Nevermind. . . . ---
**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/4 "2002-12-09T20:49:46Z")
whenever two items which resemble each other are needed to make an operational unit they are a “pair”, The left side of a pair of pants is is not exactly like the right side-----the same applies to scissors----or shears------or pliers. If you made a pair of pants using only two right sides you’d have a pocket where the fly is and a fly on one hip. Or the fly would be in the rear and one pocket backwards. At any rate they’d sure look funny! As for a “pair of dice”—incorrect------but common usage. ---
**Author:** ![B.Pants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@B.Pants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Pants)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/5 "2002-12-09T20:52:28Z")
What’s the deal with pants, you ask? If you ever figure it out, let me know, cause I don’t have a clue what the deal with me is. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/6 "2002-12-09T20:57:58Z")
**Ezstrete** : And a pair of glasses? ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/7 "2002-12-09T21:11:49Z")
That makes sense, **Ezstrete** , but also begs the question: why “a” bra? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/8 "2002-12-09T21:24:21Z")
When you are making love and you pant, and then you pant again, _that’s_ a “pair of pants”. ---
**Author:** ![Yersinia\_Pestis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ccd318/32.png) [@Yersinia\_Pestis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yersinia_Pestis)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/9 "2002-12-09T22:52:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ezstrete \* > \*\*As for a “pair of dice”—incorrect------but common usage. \*\* Why is a “pair of dice” incorrect? ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/10 "2002-12-09T23:12:53Z")
I suspect s/he meant “a dice” is incorrect? Dice certainly is the plural of die (as in the expression _the die is cast_), but most of us use dice as the singular even though that’s not strictly correct. ---
**Author:** ![lindsay.reid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@lindsay.reid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsay.reid)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/11 "2002-12-09T23:15:56Z")
In German, both pants and glasses are singular. I’m not sure about other languages, but I think that English is the illogical one in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/12 "2002-12-10T00:03:07Z")
If you rotate your glasses 180 degrees you’ll find that there is definitely a left and a right lens So----Spectacles require two corrections to make up a pair. As for"A BRA"? Ask the French-----they customarily throw away half the letters in their words when they pronounce them. They do it to confuse we Irish-Americans. ---
**Author:** ![wet\_marble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e0b2c6/32.png) [@wet\_marble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wet_marble)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/13 "2002-12-10T00:21:55Z")
in regards to the bra, my understanding is that the modern bra derives it’s name from the brassiere. The brassiere clearly is not a pair of anything. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/14 "2002-12-10T00:45:35Z")
I believe that in Spanish “el pantalon” would technically be “pants” in English, but I’ve never heard it like that. I usually hear “Los pantalones”. Maybe it is very Americanized I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/15 "2002-12-10T01:40:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wet marble \* > \*\*in regards to the bra, my understanding is that the modern bra derives it’s name from the brassiere. The brassiere clearly is not a pair of anything. \*\* I’m glad you’re clear on it, because I’m not. Two cloth cups that lift and support. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/16 "2002-12-10T10:55:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lindsay.reid \* > In German, both pants and glasses are singular. In German (as in Swedish) both trousers and glasses are **plural** : _Hosen_ and _Brillen_ respectively. ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/17 "2002-12-10T11:02:09Z")
i have several pairs of trousers…and underpants but no undertrousers. i think at one time the legs would have been separate…so a pair would be correct. a bit like chaps…fella’s 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nils](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Nils](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nils)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/18 "2002-12-10T14:43:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Floater \* > \*\*In German (as in Swedish) both trousers and glasses are **plural** : _Hosen_ and _Brillen_ respectively. \*\* Ich think lindsay.reid meant that a pair of trousers/pants translates to “eine Hose” in German which is singular, same applies for a pair of glasses = Eine Brille. I can’t speak for swedish though. Anyway, you English-speaking crowd shouldn’t feel alone. In Finnish housut and silmä(lasit) is also plural, while only meaning one object. ---
**Author:** ![tourbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@tourbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tourbot)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/19 "2002-12-10T15:07:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ezstrete \* > \*\* > Ask the French-----they customarily throw away half the letters in their words when they pronounce them. > > They do it to confuse we Irish-Americans. \*\* What? Americans, maybe, but the Irish throw away quite a lot of letters as well. Anyway, thanks for reminding me of my long ago trip to Ireland and my embarrassing attempts at asking for directions to Dun Laoghaire. [sub](Hell, I couldn’t even get the locals to understand my pronunciation of Howth.)[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593/20 "2002-12-10T15:11:58Z")
What is the deal with pants? 2 for 1. 😃 everton said: > [@](#): > > I suspect s/he meant “a dice” is incorrect? Dice certainly is the plural of die (as in the expression the die is cast), but most of us use dice as the singular even though that’s not strictly correct. But that doesn’t match what Cecil said - “The terms for these objects are always plural in form…” Dice is the plural, is is pants, and shears, and scissors, etc. Dice would be the correct word in the form, since it is the plural. Ezstrete actually said: > [@](#): > > whenever two items which resemble each other are needed to make an operational unit they are a “pair”, Dice do not _require_ both to be an operational unit. Each die will work fine on its own. What Ezstrete seems to be saying is that “pair” requires the two to be connected in some manner. Pants, scissors, shears, eyeglasses, tweezers, etc all have two parts that are joined in some manner. Dice are not joined. Even stairs and rosary beads are joined, though they are not typically in twos. But what about shoes and socks? They aren’t joined and remain separate items, but most people require one of each side to use them properly. Thus one left foot and one right foot per pair. Somewhere along the line, _pair_ shifted usage from _coupled items making a whole_ to just _two_. In that context, “pair of dice” is correct. Regarding _brassiere_, my dictionary says it comes from _brace_. Looking up brace, I see one definition is _pair, couple_. But I think the more relevant definition is _clasp, clamp, thong; strap_. There’s a note that says some senses depend upon a second entry for _brace_, which is _embrace; encircle or gird_. So a brassiere is a strap that encircles or girds. Since it has more to do with the strapping part that encircles the chest and less to do with the cupping part that requires two units, the word is singular and does not fall into the pair category. Despite all evidence to the contrary, a brassiere is not about the coupling. 😉 mrcrow, regarding undertrousers vs. underpants, that is the whims of word history. Pants is used in the U.S. to mean trousers, but in the U.K. it chiefly means _drawers_, or underpants. Pants is really a shortened form of _pantaloons_, which referred to a type of tight fitting trousers that likely resembled drawers, which were a tight-fitting undergarment for the legs suspended from the waist (think long underwear). Americans call them _underpants_ to differentiate them from their use of pants for the outer leg garment. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-pants-i-just-dont-get-it/141593.md?page=2)