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From: Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: sci.lang,alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: "a Pair of Panties" ?????
Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:44:12 -0700
Organization: Dis One
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On Monday or thereabouts, Janet asked ...
> In article <v5tgf1$ukmm$1@dont-email.me>, vpaereru-
> unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid says...
>> 
>> Le 01/07/2024 à 04:44, HenHanna a écrit :
>>> 
>>> A pair of pants,    or    A pair of trousers
>>> 
>>>                   ... ok because each Pair kinda looks like  [2 pipes].
>>> 
>>>     ...but...
>>>               "a Pair of Panties" ?????
>> 
>> There appears to be a class of things that exist only in the plural - a 
>> pair of tweezers, scissors, pliers, sunglasses... trousers, underpants, 
>> knickers, tights... - things that bifurcate or are made up of two bits. 
>
>   Despite which, the bra is singular.
>
>
>> I suppose the briefer garments inherited the plural from longer ones 
>> (though a few minutes' searching yields no support for this; briefs were 
>> apparently in use in Ancient Egypt).
>> 
>> I observe that the kilt is singular - two legs, but only one hole.
>
>   Like the skirt, the dress, the petticoat.
>
>   It's a mystery why men don't wear a petticoat under 
> those itchy wool kilts.

Wouldn't a petticoat get damp and chilly from the mists on the 
Highlandd Hills?  I've learned through stories of old lumberman in the 
Northwest [1] woods that woolen union suits were warm but not itchy 
once the bracken got you soaked through.

>
>   Janet

[1] Either the Old Northwest or the Pacific Northwest, which had a 
period of overlap of similar logging techniques, although running the 
river was not as common in the PNW.  Also, I think there were fewer 
lumber railroads in the Old Northwest because the trees began to play 
out before logging locomotives became common, but ICBW.

/dps "has woolen socks"

-- 
Trust, but verify.