In the UK, if something is pants, it is used in an arch sense
of being unspeakably awful. Students usually use it.
I'm coming in on the end of this discussion, so this may have
been dealt with before.
Jim~>
>Between us, Girvan and I have probably just confused
the transAtlantic
>linguistic question. As he points out, "pants" in the
sense of trousers
>or slacks is American; here in England (not to
mention Scotland), they
>are underpants/knickers/panties/whatever.
>
>Kids' slang meaning of "pants" STILL presumably
derives from the
>embarrassing situation of being caught with your
nether garments down or
>missing in public, and therefore being in a very
"naff" situation.
>Personally, I'd rather on balance be caught with ONLY
my jeans down in
>public. That I could probably carry off. Beyond that,
it gets silly.
>
>(Oh, wicked of me....)
>
>Marianne
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