Was pants considered a dirty word?
Harmless enough to our ears, the shortened form pants alone was considered vulgar by some language commentators for quite some time, including Ambrose Bierce, who wrote the following in his 1909 book Write It Right about pants for trousers: "Abbreviated from pantaloons, which are no longer worn. Vulgar exceedingly."
Was pants a dirty word in England?
The Anglicised or English version became pantaloon and the Americans shortened it to pants, but this was considered a dirty word. For most people around the world, pants means trousers, but in British English, pants is often used to refer to someone's underpants.
Why is pants an insult?
The origin of this phrase likely comes from the British slang use of "pants" to refer to underwear, especially men's briefs or boxer shorts. The idea is that if something is described as "pants," it is considered of poor quality or unsatisfactory, akin to describing it as undesirable as underwear.
Why don't Americans say trousers?
Why do Americans say pants instead of trousers? Because pants is short for “pantaloons”. For us, or at least in my part of the US, “trousers” means “dress pants”. Not just any old pants.
Do Americans ever say trousers?
In North America, Australia and South Africa pants is the general category term, whereas trousers (sometimes slacks in Australia and North America) often refers more specifically to tailored garments with a waistband, belt-loops, and a fly-front.
What are trousers in UK slang?
As can be seen, in southern England the word trousers is usually used to describe outerwear and pants is used for underwear. In northern England pants more commonly defines outerwear and underpants is used as a synonym for men's underwear. In southern England pants is often used to indicate something isn't very good.
What is Jack slang for?
US a slang word for money. every man jack everyone without exception.
What is a Tom slang?
(UK, slang, dated) A female prostitute. (US, slang) A lesbian. (music) Clipping of tom-tom. (obsolete) The jack of trumps in the card game gleek.
When was pants a bad word?
TIL that in England in the 1800's, 'Pants' was considered a dirty word.
Why do Brits say pants?
Since pantaloons were associated with a slimmer fit, when wider trousers came into fashion in England, 'pants' came to refer to the more snug garments worn underneath trousers. Hence pants meaning 'underpants'.
What do Brits call shorts?
The British English term, short trousers, is used, only for shorts that are a short version of ordinary trousers (i.e., pants or slacks in American English).
What do Canadians call trousers?
In general, Canadians follow the American model in these cases; like Americans, they say apartment rather than flat, diaper rather than nappy, elevator rather than lift, flashlight rather than torch, freight car rather than goods wagon, fries rather than chips (Canadian chips are what the British call crisps), pants ...
How do British say pants?
Whether you're speaking British, American, Canadian, or Australian English (I can't personally say for Indian English or other forms), that would be called a hoodie. Technically a "hooded sweatshirt," but everyone mostly everywhere just calls them hoodies.
What do Americans call hoodies?
Americans will use the terms “pants”, “slacks”, “britches”, “jeans”, “denims”, “khakis”, “overalls”, and ”work pants”, among a few possible other words. These terms are not all equally interchangeable. For example, I once owned a blue jeans suit.
What do Americans call jeans?
Fittingly, the word bull is sometimes also used for a particularly bulky, muscular man. Another informal and slightly obscene meaning is "ridiculous," or "not true," as when you tell a lie and your brother rudely replies, "Bull!" This slang meaning has its roots in the Old French bole, "deception or trick."
What is a bull slang?
Buck is an informal reference to $1 that may trace its origins to the American colonial period. 1 "Making a fast buck" means a person wants to make money in a short amount of time. The buck also refers to the U.S. dollar exchange rate versus other currencies in the world.
What is a buck in slang?
Definition of 'trouser'
If you say that someone trousers a sum of money, you mean that they receive it, usually when they do not deserve it or should not take it. [British, informal]
What is a trouser slang?
Gender: Jack is traditionally the masculine form of the name and means "God is Gracious." However, both Jack and Jac are considered gender-neutral. Feminine variations, such as Jacklyn and Jacqueline are common.
Can you call a girl Jack?
(slang) Reprehensible; objectionable. Dude, your girlfriend left you for your brother? That's jacked up. (obsolete, dialect, West Country and Australia) Bankrupt; insolvent; ruined; done for.
Is jacked up a bad word?
dragon (plural dragons) (slang) A man who does drag or crossdresses, or sometimes by extension a male-to-female transgender person.
What is dragon slang for?
A vibrant, growing, and highly visible set of female identities has emerged in Thailand known as tom and dee. A “tom” (from “tomboy”) refers to a masculine woman who is sexually involved with a feminine partner, or “dee” (from “lady”).
What is a tom in LGBT?
US slang. : a romantic partner : sweetheart, honey.
What is a boo slang?
Whilst this is not cemented in fact, the widely held belief is that the terms came from soldiers returning to Britain from India. Old Indian rupee banknotes had animals on them and it is said that the 500 rupee note had a monkey on it and the 25 rupee featured a pony.
Why is a pony 25?
One folk etymology claims that it derives from “for unlawful carnal knowledge,” but this has been debunked by etymologists. The word became rarer in print in the 18th century when it came to be regarded as vulgar. It was even banned from the Oxford English Dictionary.
When did the F word become vulgar?
As activities such as tennis, cycling, and horseback riding became more popular at the turn of the century, women turned to trousers or knickerbockers to provide comfort and freedom of movement in these activities, and some laws made allowances for women's wearing of trousers during these activities.
Why did girls wear pants?
While there were some women who championed pants in the 19th century, pants as an acceptable everyday clothing option for women didn't truly catch on until the mid-20th century. The adoption of pants as a popular item of dress for women in Western society traces its roots to the mid-19th-century dress-reform movement.
When did girls wear pants?
Pants. What's called pants in the US are called trousers in the UK; what are called pants in the UK are called underwear in the US.
Who says trousers?
Common British terms are: * Jumper - particularly if made of wool, but not exclusively. * Fleece - if made of nylon fleece. * Hoodie - if fitted with a hood.
What do Brits call hoodies?
'Lass' or 'lassie' is another word for 'girl'. This is mainly in the north of England and Scotland. 'Lad' is another word for boy. 'Bloke' or 'chap' means 'man'.
How do you say no in British?
Bonnie. Interpretation: A common Scottish phrase that means "pretty" or "beautiful" normally in reference to a woman or lass. In use: "She's a bonnie lass."
What is the British slang for girl?
peng. If something is peng, that means it's attractive or appealing. Frequently, the term applies to good-looking people, but it can also be used to describe other things that look good, like clothing or food items.
What is the British slang for pretty girl?
“Pants” in German are “Hosen”.
What is the British slang for pretty?
(woman's) culotte f. (man's) slip m. a pair of pants (woman's) une culotte; (man's) un slip. 2. ( US) (= trousers) pantalon m.
What do Germans call pants?
The phrase refers to the very wide-legged blue pants that Dutch sailors used to wear – and which obviously needed to be patched from time to time.
What do French call pants?
Sneakers (US) or trainers (UK), also known by a wide variety of other names, are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but which are also widely used for everyday casual wear.
What is a Dutch trouser?
If you say that something is pants, you mean that it is very poor in quality. The place is pants, yet so popular.
How do Brits say jeans?
Why do Brits call it a jumper? It's derived from an old French word, “jupe" which was a type of short coat. At some point in time the word in English became “jump" and then eventually “jumper" and became used to describe what we now call a jumper (Sweater).
What do British call sneakers?
There are many other kinds of shirts. Americans will generally refer to t-shirts specifically as t-shirts, although you might see one you like and say, “Dude, great shirt.” Usually shirt.
What is pants slang for?
There's more: What Brits call "joggers" or "tracksuit bottoms," Americans call "sweatpants." And what Americans call "coveralls," we call "overalls," and instead of "overalls," we say "dungarees."
Why do Brits say jumper?
Yes. Fridge is commonly used in the U.S. I say fridge more often than refrigerator—as do most of the people I know. We would generally only say refrigerator in a more formal situation.
What do Americans call T shirts?
The last two of these are gender-neutral terms and can be used for either male or female styles of underwear bottom, the American English equivalent being underpants. In Australia, male underpants are often referred to as "undies", although the word can also refer to panties.
What do Americans call joggers?
No. Ironically, the use of “telly” is one of the main ways that Americans would characterize “British English.” So much so, one might call it a “trope” by American authors.
Do Americans say fridge?
Slang. a dollar: He sold the car for 500 fish. Slang.
Do Americans say undies?
Cow: Adult female that has given birth. Heifer: Female cattle which have not yet given birth. Bull: Male cattle which are entire (i.e. not castrated). Steer or Bullock: Male cattle that have been castrated.
Do Americans say telly?
: an ill-tempered person : grouch.
What is fish slang?
$100 bill is occasionally a "band" or "C-note" (C being the Roman numeral for 100, from the Latin word centum) or "century note"; it can also be referred to as a "Benjamin" or "Benny" (after Benjamin Franklin, who is pictured on the note), or a "yard" (so $300 is "3 yards" and a $50 bill is a "half a yard").
What is a female bull call?
(UK, slang, dated) A female prostitute. (US, slang) A lesbian. (music) Clipping of tom-tom. (obsolete) The jack of trumps in the card game gleek.
What is a crab in slang?
(slang, transitive) To steal, usually something inconsequential. quotations ▼ Someone has pinched my handkerchief!
What is $100 slang?
Relaxed fit, longer length wide leg trousers cut in a boxy, masculine style in a lightweight traditional suiting fabric.
What is a Tom slang?
Trousers is a plural noun. You use a plural form of a verb with it. His trousers were covered in mud. Don't talk about 'a trousers'.
What is pinch slang for?
Trousers apparently comes from Gaelic, and originally referred to tight short pants. Pants is a shortening of pantaloons, attested from around 1840. The uses of the words seem to have come about when everyone stopped calling them breeches (which you might still here in Appalachia, for example).
What is a dad trouser?
Traditionally, males are not named Sue, a traditionally female name. With current trends, though, it may become common as Americans rebel against associated norms as being sexist or racist. In 1969 Johnny Cash performed a song by the name of “A Boy Named Sue.”
Can we say a trouser?
Did you know boys used to be called girls? Until the late 15th century, the word girl was used to refer to a child. of any gender. Maiden child is used for a little boy, and gay girl was used for a girl.
Why do British say trousers?
Sue is a girl's name of Hebrew origin, meaning “lily”. This floral title is sure to inspire your little one through its gentle beauty. Connected to the name Susan and other variants, this name is rich in character and history.
Can boys be called sue?
What is cut slang for?
Did boys used to be called girls?
What is slang for muscular?
Is Sue a boy or girl name?
TIL that in England in the 1800's, 'Pants' was considered a dirty word.
When was pants a bad word?
In the UK, “pants” typically refers to underwear. However, “pants” can also be used as an equivalent of the word "bad" e.g. "That's pants!" Yet another classic British slang term of insult.
What is pants a bad word in England?
Well, there are a couple of explanations floating around.
According to some, the phrase “pair of pants” harkens back to the days when what constituted pants—or pantaloons, as they were originally known—consisted of two separate items, one for each leg. They were put on one at a time and then secured around the waist.
What were pants originally called?
Kids Definition
Pantaloon always wore tight-fitting trousers and stockings. Such clothing became known as pantaloons. The word pantaloons was later used for various types of trousers and is still sometimes heard today. The usual term now, however, is pants, which is short for pantaloons.