# Why is underwear called "a pair" when it's just one item?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-underwear-called-a-pair-when-its-just-one-item/600451>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 22, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-underwear-called-a-pair-when-its-just-one-item/600451 "2011-10-22T16:12:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-underwear-called-a-pair-when-its-just-one-item/600451/61 "2017-08-29T05:21:37Z")

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Phase 1: Collect underpants  
Phase 2: ?  
Phase 3: Profit

vs

Phase 1: Collect pairs of underpants  
Phase 2: ??  
Phase 3: Double the profit!

Like, do I really have to explain this to you guys?

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-underwear-called-a-pair-when-its-just-one-item/600451/62 "2017-08-29T20:29:45Z")

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> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> Note to self: men’s briefs are weirder than I thought, as they can only cover testicles but not butt cheeks.

Well, if they held 2 testicles AND 2 butt cheeks they’d be a quad of underwear.

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**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-underwear-called-a-pair-when-its-just-one-item/600451/63 "2017-08-30T02:03:54Z")

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A pair of briefs would be enough for two people. Because briefs is singular…

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**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-underwear-called-a-pair-when-its-just-one-item/600451/64 "2017-08-30T02:15:08Z")

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Zombies do not care about pants, singular or plural.

As far as pairs of pants go, so the Zombie may return to sleep…

…do not pants derive from leggings, which were individual and so in pairs.

So someone devises to stitch them together to the loin cloth now the pair is joined together?

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