A Bizare question!!!

[Orangesauce1]

Ok... help... have started a debate at work.

WHY are trousers / pants .... pairs?? they are only one.... why? same with glasses!!!

[B00]

Because there's two legs to them.....a pair of legs...a pair of pants.

Same with specs....cept it's two lenses instead of legs obviously, would look daft with legs.

[redcrx]

i always thought it was maybe something to do with the fact you have 2 legs, 2 eyes (and eye glass was for one eye years ago). Like pair handcuffs, pair of knickers etc.

But that cant be right as doesnt explain with bra is singular.

[Champagne]

Because you can refer to a trouser leg at a time. If they weren't called a 'pair' of trousers then you would have to refer to each leg as one entity.

I've just had another thought though. If you had 2 pairs of trousers could you refer to them as four trousers? Or if you had four sets of sunglasses would they be 4 pairs or 8 glasses?

I'm confused!!!!

[laurence2]

Pair = A set of two similar things that form one article

[joko]

bra is from brassiere which is french, i think, so perhaps the 'pair' rule doesn't apply

[Orangesauce1]

Someone in the local debate (my office) came up with this

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

Before the days of modern tailoring, such garments, whether underwear or outerwear, were indeed made in two parts, one for each leg. The pieces were put on each leg separately and then wrapped and tied or belted at the waist (just like cowboys� chaps). The plural usage persisted out of habit even after the garments had become physically one piece. However, a shirt was a single piece of cloth, so it was always singular.

[THECORBYLOON]

Glasses do have legs, surely?

[pie+mash]

Better late than never...

How come then a jumper/cardi/blouse isn't a pair?

They all have two arms, and they are often joined on afterwards...

spectacles have arms...