Pants are
clothing
for the lower body; the term comes from
pantaloons.
In Canadian, Australian and American
English, the term
pants
refers to a long outer garment worn
over the hips and legs, which in British
English are called
trousers.
In British English, the term
pants
refers to men's
underpants.
It is a catch-all term that can denote
anything from thongs to boxer shorts,
but all have the common feature that
they are worn under trousers. The word "pants"
has acquired humorous connotations in
the last few decades, largely among
younger people. Many stand-up comedians
have used the word as a lightly pejorative
term. There is a tendency to use it
as an adjective. This usage came to
wider attention when it came to light
that the then Prime Minister John Major
tucked his
shirt
into his underpants.
Learn about the many
styles of pants by viewing our types of pants terminology
section.
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