Path: ...!news.mixmin.net!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Snidely Newsgroups: sci.lang,alt.usage.english Subject: Re: "a Pair of Panties" ????? Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:44:12 -0700 Organization: Dis One Lines: 49 Message-ID: References: Reply-To: snidely.too@gmail.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-15"; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2024 21:44:19 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="5347dc75f74a00f445d228253d244af9"; logging-data="1296882"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1+2BNMxmWYd8BJptePE++9M1NOArJ0Chvc=" Cancel-Lock: sha1:L0b6et4FfhFAeAdWCQ5QkISNsEg= X-Newsreader: MesNews/1.08.06.00-gb X-ICQ: 543516788 Bytes: 2819 On Monday or thereabouts, Janet asked ... > In article , 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.