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was pants a bad word in england

by Yasmeen Lynch Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

Pants Used To Be A Bad Word In England. uttered just as profusely in the streets as they are now. In polite or mixed. company, of course, euphemisms were used, especially by women and children. Many connotations of words used today remain curiously unchanged from the nineteenth century to the twentieth. In cases where no definition appears, the reader can use his or her imagination and extrapolate from current usage.

Pants by itself has of course continued in US English to refer to trousers, but in British English, pants is used most often to refer to what Americans call underpants—which, makes the word a good bit funnier across the pond, at least for 8-year-olds and anyone who shares their sense of humor.

Full Answer

Is it pants or pants in the UK?

7 Answers. Pants is the normal word in the UK. There is a difference in use of the word in different forms of English. In American English, it means what is known as trousers in the UK. If pants is used in India with the American definition, that suggests an American influence on the English learnt there.

Is the word'pants'considered slang in the UK?

First of all, that is not slang. Pants is the normal word in the UK. There is a difference in use of the word in different forms of English. In American English, it means what is known as trousers in the UK. If pants is used in India with the American definition, that suggests an American influence on the English learnt there.

Why do Londoners say “that’s pants”?

The term comes from the children's rhyme “liar, liar, pants on fire” which was abridged to “pants” as a way to say you don't believe someone. So ‘that's pants!’ is just another way of saying `bollocks!’ If you are a true Londoner, Then what you call pants are trousers in English. Therefore, we call them mansions, as in mansion houses = trousers.

What is the origin of the phrase'that's my pants'?

The term comes from the children's rhyme “liar, liar, pants on fire” which was abridged to “pants” as a way to say you don't believe someone. So ‘that's pants!’ is just another way of saying `bollocks!’

Was pants a dirty word in England?

Well, technically it still is, because over here "pants" are what you wear under trousers. Obviously it's not swear word of the century, but it's more "dirty" than it is in 'Murika.

What does pants mean British slang?

(UK, slang) Rubbish; something worthless. You're talking pants!

In which century England was pants considered a dirty word?

Why was pants considered a dirty word in england in the 1880s?

How do the British say pants?

1:253:21British Pants vs American Pants | English Communication ProblemYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIn the USA means like trousers okay your pants okay like these in British English pants areMoreIn the USA means like trousers okay your pants okay like these in British English pants are Underpants okay so for me when she says let me put on some pants.

Does pants mean bad?

If you say that something is pants, you mean that it is very poor in quality. The place is pants, yet so popular.

Was pants a swear 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."

Do Northerners say pants?

It becomes clear that pants is a strictly northern term when one looks at the variation in the North West in particular, where 49% of speakers use pants.

Why do we say pants not pant?

Pants are a singular object. Then why do we say “pants” instead of “pant”? It's a common vagary of the English language that pants—or trousers, slacks, khakis, shorts—is always presented as a plural. It's never pant, but rather a pair of pants.

Are British underpants?

Underpants (often abbreviated to pants in Britain) is a term that in British English refers to men's underwear worn on the lower body. The term is gender neutral in American English.

What do British 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).

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

uttered just as profusely in the streets as they are now. In polite or mixed

Pants Used To Be A Bad Word In England

uttered just as profusely in the streets as they are now. In polite or mixed

What Does “Pants” Mean In The UK?

In the UK, “pants” are what Americans call “underpants”. They are the piece of fabric between the bare crotch & buttocks, and the lower clothing item on display. What Americans refer to as “pants”, the UK calls “trousers”. The word comes from a fictional character called “Pantaloon”.

Where did the word "pants" come from?

And despite this being a debate between two English speaking countries, the origin of the word comes from France.

What was Pantaloon's outfit?

Remember, our friend Pantaloon from the French play? As we know, his outfit of choice was long johns.

What does it mean when something is called pants?

If something is described as “pants”, it means that it’s rubbish. A piece of artwork might be called “pants” if it isn’t very good. I might say “I am pants at this” if I’m struggling with it.

Why do trousers have two Rs?

It’s thought that the reason why the word “trousers” has two “r”s is to make it more similar to other words that are often associated with “a pair of”, such as “a pair of drawers”.

What do British call their pants?

As the Americanism uses pants as what we British would call Trousers, which are long shorts lets just say, occasionally you might hear a Brit call his khaki combat trousers ‘combat pants’ or ‘cargo pants’. tho usually if an Englishman says pants he means underwear - not outer-wear!

What do you call pants in English?

If you are a true Londoner, Then what you call pants are trousers in English.

What is the difference between pants and trousers?

As can be seen, in southern England the word trousers is usually used to describe outerwear and pants is used for underwear.

What is the slang for underwear?

Underwear. It’s not really slang, it’s a polite but somewhat casual way of saying underwear. Pants often refer more to ladies knickers or men’s briefs than boxers or thongs.

What is the word for a male friend?

Mate – If you think we’ve confused our islands, you’re wrong. Most of us associate the word mate with Australia, but the truth is that the Brits use this word too. It is a term of endearment used to call a friend, male or female. A male friend can also be called a lad or chap, and the female version of this is lass or lassie.

What does "bog standard" mean?

Bog standard - plain and simple - if you bought a car and chose no optional extras it would be the ‘big standard model’ - builders tea would be bog standard tea. Nogin - quite regional but means the end crust on a loaf. Can also mean brain as in “use your noggin”. Not sure of the actual spelling.

What does "pants" mean in slang?

The ‘slang’ variant of ‘pants’ is basically saying something is rubbish or not very good. “Well, that was an hour of my life I’m not getting back, that TV Show was a ‘load of old pants’. “ Normally shortened to, “Well, that was ‘pants’.”

What does "pants" mean in the UK?

In the UK "Pants" typically refers to underwear. (Where it is also a slang term for "bad". As in "That's pants".) In other parts of the world, notably the USA, "pants" refers to trousers.

What is pants in the USA?

In other parts of the world, notably the USA, "pants" refers to trousers.

What does it mean to put your pants on one leg?

Describing the meaning of "put your pants on one leg at a time", this link says: To say that someone puts their pants on one leg at a time means that the person is a human being no different from anyone else.

What does "get into someone's pants" mean?

get into someone's pants, Colloquial to have sexual intercourse with someone. ... the pants off someone, Colloquial (humorous) used after a verb, as an intensifier: that lecturer bores the pants off me; this'll scare the pants off her; I'll sue the pants off him!

Is "pants" slang in India?

1. In the UK, I've heard pants being used as slang for underpants (or was it in Bridget Jones' Diary?), whereas in India it almost exclusively means "trousers". First of all, that is not slang. Pants is the normal word in the UK. There is a difference in use of the word in different forms of English.

What is a pants?

pants. (a) Noun. American, also used in some British dialects. Trousers, a bifurcated outer garment covering the body and each leg from waist to ankle. Until the late 20th century traditionally a male garment. (b) Noun.

What does "underpants" mean?

Underpants. (c) Verb. American. To pull down someone's pants (trousers). Can be done to either males or females by either males or females. See also depants. (d) Verb. American. To overpower someone and remove his trousers by force as a humiliation.

What does "not good" mean?

Not good, not up to the task, not true. Originally a UK schoolboy slang expression: " a pile of pants", presumably the equivalent of dirty, smelly washing. Later spread to adults and abreviated.

Where did the cant originate?

It’s believed it originated from Romany and that there were different dialects—the Romany had one, thieves another and beggars and petty thieves a third. Irish travellers also had (and have) their own cant. Some examples of thieves cant (as recorded in writing—it’s been argued that the spoken cant was different):

Is peanuts cheap?

Peanuts: very cheap —I had it for peanuts at the local shop

Did thieves have their own language?

Did you know thieves in Britain used to have their own language called thieves’ cant? It wasn’t a complete language, rather like Cockney it consists of a limited amount of words intermingled with regular language. It’s believed it originated from Romany and that there were different dialects—the Romany had one, thieves another and beggars and petty thieves a third.

Did Irish people have their own cant?

Irish travellers also had (and have) their own cant.

Do Brits use slang?

And they have some rather funny examples of how you can use one word to say many different things, chief among them being the word piss. Yes, piss.

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