a pair of jeans why a pair???

[Guest Methimphibian]

Why do people refer to jeans as a pair?

example: "Go put on a pair of jeans"

a pair is two not one.

[Soulchild]

a pair of jeans for a pair of legs

[Guest Methimphibian]

a pair of jeans for a pair of legs

but isn't jeans itself already specific to two, thus making a pair jeans for two people?

[breams]

Way back in the day, pants as we know them did not exist, and were basically a pair of shorts, with garters connected to hose. The hose were like long socks basically (which we still call a pair -- there are two of them), but eventually the design involved into a single piece, like the pants we see today. We still call them a pair though, just cause.

[Pandemonium]

Breams, did you just make that up?

[theshonen8899]

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pai1.htm

[Conie Jeans]

hmmmm interesting.....JEAN / JEAN(S)......?I have one PAIR of jean?

?My brother has WO PAIR of JEANS....?

www.irondenim.com

[Guest Methimphibian]

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pai1.htm

props, makes sense i guess.

[breams]

Breams, did you just make that up?

I heard it before, but am not sure of the correct terminology. Just quickly googled it up now, and it's more or less the same explanation...

World Wide Words states that these types of clothing (pants, underwear, shorts, tights -- or the equivalent terms for them) were made in two parts. One part for each leg, then belted in the middle, somewhat like chaps on cowboys. Over time, they ended up as one piece of clothing, but the habit of referring to the old "pair" persisted.

[bustinxjustin]

Thats awesome! I always wondered why they were called "a pair."

[beatle]

Now let's move on and talk about shoes...or a pair of boots....

[plongin]

this is such a pothead's thread, i love it.

[fix.]

my question is, if they are called a pair of jeans, the "pair" is referring to the pair of legs. But why do we call a pant leg a pant leg? Shouldn't it just be called a pant?

you see, when refering to boots, you say a pair of boots. Because one boot and another boot, make a pair of boots. Why doesn't one pant, and another pant make a pair of pants?

[flyordie]

lol@thisthread

[napoleon]

Why doesn't one pant, and another pant make a pair of pants?

Because then you'd end up with crotchless leggings?