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#144556 06/27/05 08:08 PM
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When/how did the word 'pants' become an expletive in England? On a different board I haunt I've noticed UK citizens using the term 'pants' as either an expletive "Ah pants!" or as an expression of negative value: "That movie was pants!" I was just wondering where the saying came from.


#144557 06/27/05 08:32 PM
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I believe it's a derivation from "crap". If you can't say "crap", what's the next nearest, um, thing?


#144558 06/28/05 12:19 AM
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That makes sense. I can't think of an US-ian equivalent word using clothing. Must ponder on that.

How long has the word 'pants' been used in this way? Is it a fairly contemporary usage?


#144559 06/28/05 11:44 AM
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"Pants" is short for "Hot Pants", gift horse.

The tip-off, I suggest, is the "Ah" in "Ah pants" which can be traced to "the Godfather of Soul"*, James Brown:

Ah hot pants won't make ya dance
But as slick as you are, ah!
You make the pants, uh!


from "Hot Pants"
Written by - J. Brown & F. Wesley

http://snipurl.com/fvtj

* 'Godfather of Soul' honored with bronze statue
James Brown celebrates 72nd birthday in Georgia
Associated Press, May 13, 2005

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7771924

#144560 06/28/05 04:24 PM
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Wow, we have a British expression which was originated by an obscure line in a song from a singer who's probably only listened to by a very small minority of middle-aged, middle-class British people? Hmmm. Let's just ignore the most popular theory, that it came from the youth of the early to mid-1990s, then!

Anyway, here's someone who seems to at least partially agree with me:
http://english2american.com/dictionary/cat_clothing.html

and another definition:

http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/p.htm

and an interesting (and embarrassing) example of usage:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/1076585.stm

and, finally, what Michael Quinion has to say:

http://www.worldwidewords.org/topicalwords/tw-pan4.htm




#144561 06/28/05 05:11 PM
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Can't say I've ever heard this particular usage of "pants," but the closest Americanism I can think of is that immortal catch phrase of Bart Simpson: "Eat my shorts!"


#144562 06/28/05 05:29 PM
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Thanks again, Capfka! I enjoyed your links. The last two were especially helpful for me.

The phrase, "pile of pants" made me laugh. Could be rather useful in certain circumstances.


#144563 06/28/05 06:05 PM
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a singer who's probably only listened to by a very small minority of middle-aged, middle-class British people

You think "the Godfather of soul" doesn't have a following amongst Brits of all ages and skin colorations even today?

Do you think there is any Brit of just about any age who hasn't heard "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"?

Do you think they stopped broadcasting popular music from the 50's and 60's in Britain 35 years ago?

I agree your "popular theory" may be right, but a "popular theory" is just a theory -- just like mine. :)

Who's your daddy, Capfka?


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Who's your daddy, Capfka?

At least I can say I have one. There's so many of you that some of you must have been conceived out of what might laughingly pass for wedlock ..




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> a "popular theory" is just a theory -- just like mine. :)

Rubbish. It's atttested by a string of evidence - it derives from British student life at three or four univesities at around the same time (based on evidence from people like the OED man Quinion quotes) and was widely popularised by Simon Mayo on national radio, from whence it got picked up by all the kids and used in a major national charity event. It's clearly a UK usage since pants means something entirely different in the States and does not have negative connotations.


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