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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
When is a short a pair of shorts?
I've just purchased a pair of shorts from Marks & Spencer here in Britain, and was surprised by one of its dangly labels. On one side it reads Blue Harbour / Comfort Short / Marks & Spencer, and on the reverse "A really comfortable short, they're soft, lightweight and have an elasticated waist."
Leaving aside the apparent conflict between "a short" and "they are", where has this "a short" for "a pair of shorts" sprung from? Is it Leftpondian or Underpondian, perhaps?
And are we soon in for a trouser?
Matti
Leaving aside the apparent conflict between "a short" and "they are", where has this "a short" for "a pair of shorts" sprung from? Is it Leftpondian or Underpondian, perhaps?
And are we soon in for a trouser?
Matti
Top answer
[nq:1]I've just purchased a pair of shorts from Marks & Spencer here in Britain, and was surprised by one of ... "a pair of shorts" sprung from? Is it Leftpondian or Underpondian, perhaps?
- [nq:1]I've just purchased a pair of shorts from Marks & Spencer here in Britain, and was surprised by one of ...
- "a pair of shorts" sprung from?
- Is it Leftpondian or Underpondian, perhaps?
- [/nq] I think that "a trouser" has long been the standard term in the garment industry.
- David == replace usenet with the
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21 Answers
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[nq:1]I've just purchased a pair of shorts from Marks & Spencer here in Britain, and was surprised by one of ... "a pair of shorts" sprung from? Is it Leftpondian or Underpondian, perhaps? And are we soon in for a trouser?[/nq]
I think that "a trouser" has long been the standard term in the garment industry.
David
==
replace usenet with the
I think that "a trouser" has long been the standard term in the garment industry.
David
==
replace usenet with the
00
[nq:2]I've just purchased a pair of shorts from Marks & ... Underpondian, perhaps? And are we soon in for a trouser?[/nq]
[nq:1]I think that "a trouser" has long been the standard term in the garment industry.[/nq]
Sort of related to that, the BespokeTailorSpeak structure "a (adj) (n1)of (n2)" seems to demand that, weird though the result may sound, (n2) must be singular:
A more comfor
[nq:1]I think that "a trouser" has long been the standard term in the garment industry.[/nq]
Sort of related to that, the BespokeTailorSpeak structure "a (adj) (n1)of (n2)" seems to demand that, weird though the result may sound, (n2) must be singular:
A more comfor
00
[nq:2]I've just purchased a pair of shorts from Marks & ... Underpondian, perhaps? And are we soon in for a trouser?[/nq]
[nq:1]I think that "a trouser" has long been the standard term in the garment industry.[/nq]
As also, at least in the US, is "pant."
Bob Lieblich
Tongue hanging out
[nq:1]I think that "a trouser" has long been the standard term in the garment industry.[/nq]
As also, at least in the US, is "pant."
Bob Lieblich
Tongue hanging out
00
[nq:1]I've just purchased a pair of shorts from Marks & Spencer here in Britain, and was surprised by one of ... "a pair of shorts" sprung from? Is it Leftpondian or Underpondian, perhaps? And are we soon in for a trouser?[/nq]
You've never watched The Fast Show, then?
The use of trade lingo like "short" and "trouser" on consumer literature is deprecated, but the leakage into the mainstrea
You've never watched The Fast Show, then?
The use of trade lingo like "short" and "trouser" on consumer literature is deprecated, but the leakage into the mainstrea
00
[nq:1]I've just purchased a pair of shorts from Marks & Spencer here in Britain, and was surprised by one of ... "they are", where has this "a short" for "a pair of shorts" sprung from? Is it Leftpondian or Underpondian, perhaps?[/nq]
I suspect that here "a short" means "a kind of shorts". That is, it is an application of a shift that is common with respect to both countable and uncount
I suspect that here "a short" means "a kind of shorts". That is, it is an application of a shift that is common with respect to both countable and uncount
00
[nq:1]I've just purchased a pair of shorts from Marks & Spencer here in Britain, and was surprised by one of ... / Marks & Spencer, and on the reverse "A really comfortable short, they're soft, lightweight and have an elasticated waist."[/nq]
It's part of PSMB - pseudo sophisticated marketing bollox.
[nq:1]Leaving aside the apparent conflict between "a short" and "they are", where has this
It's part of PSMB - pseudo sophisticated marketing bollox.
[nq:1]Leaving aside the apparent conflict between "a short" and "they are", where has this
00
[nq:1]A more comfortable kind of stocking A sharper type of scissor A more elegant cut of trouser A classier style of sunglass They sound dreadful, yes, but don't they sound even worse ungrammatical, even if made plural?[/nq]
Not the stocking surely?
Rob Bannister
Not the stocking surely?
Rob Bannister
00
[nq:1]I think that "a trouser" has long been the standard term in the garment industry.[/nq]
In Denmark, it has long been standard in the garment industry to say "a trouser" {en buks} instead of "a pair of trousers" {et par bukser}. It is used by the salesmen in the men's garment shops - but never by ordinary people.
An international tendency?
Per Erik Rønne
In Denmark, it has long been standard in the garment industry to say "a trouser" {en buks} instead of "a pair of trousers" {et par bukser}. It is used by the salesmen in the men's garment shops - but never by ordinary people.
An international tendency?
Per Erik Rønne
00
[nq:2]I think that "a trouser" has long been the standard term in the garment industry.[/nq]
[nq:1]In Denmark, it has long been standard in the garment industry to say "a trouser" {en buks} instead of "a ... It is used by the salesmen in the men's garment shops - but never by ordinary people. An international tendency?[/nq]
My impression is that it's going the other way in German: for cent
[nq:1]In Denmark, it has long been standard in the garment industry to say "a trouser" {en buks} instead of "a ... It is used by the salesmen in the men's garment shops - but never by ordinary people. An international tendency?[/nq]
My impression is that it's going the other way in German: for cent
00
[nq:2]In Denmark, it has long been standard in the garment ... shops - but never by ordinary people. An international tendency?[/nq]
[nq:1]My impression is that it's going the other way in German: for centuries, it was "eine Hose"; now, I find "Hosen" used regularly, rather as in English.[/nq]
Amongst the salesmen too? BTW, isn't "Hosen" strictly and historically spoken the two long stocki
[nq:1]My impression is that it's going the other way in German: for centuries, it was "eine Hose"; now, I find "Hosen" used regularly, rather as in English.[/nq]
Amongst the salesmen too? BTW, isn't "Hosen" strictly and historically spoken the two long stocki
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