Well I have no such fear! And this lack of said fear, this courage, was shown to the many makers of pants (Levi's, Dockers, The Gap, Old Navy, Structure, Macy's, and Anchor Blue) for I, Benjamin Smash, have a question that needs answering. THE LETTER Hey there, Just a quick question for you. Why are pants always referred to in pairs? If my wife buys me pants, she comes home and says, "I bought you a pair of pants." But when I look in the bag there're only enough pants in there to cover one rear end, one 'front end', and two legs. That's it. When my wife takes me shopping, she always has the need to buy me a couple pairs of pants, but only ends up with two instead of the clearly stated four (if a pair is two, then a couple pair would be four, no?). How did this all begin? Was there an invention long ago that simply covered one leg called The Pant that required being bought in pairs (except for the one-legged people who probably found this to be a convenience)? I've always wondered and now I'm asking. Please get back to me on this. Thank you for your time. -Benjamin THE RESPONSES Macy's Thank you for contacting Macys.com. An Internet Customer Service Representative will research your inquiry and respond to you shortly. Sincerely,
Macys.com Internet Staff Macy's Thu, 09 Jan 2003 Dear Benjamin Smash, Thank you for your interest in macys.com. I hope the day will come when we confront this anomaly. Unfortunately, at present, we still refer to our pants as being pairs. Thank you for the thought. If you have any further questions or concerns, please e-mail us at macysmaildesk@fds.com or call us at: 1-800-289-6229. Our office hours are Monday through Saturday 9:00 AM to 12:00 AM EST and Sunday 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM EST. Sincerely,
Tony Fairhead Old Navy Fri, 10 Jan 2003 Dear Benjamin, Thank you for your e-mail. Although both pant and pants are proper terms, we have no information concerning the origin of the of plural form used for a singular item. If we may be of further assistance, please contact us via e-mail at custserv@oldnavy.com or by calling 1-800-OLD-NAVY. Our Customer Service Consultants are available 24 hours a day for your convenience. Sincerely,
Chris |
