are Clothing for the body below the waist. The term is an abbreviation of pantaloons, a puzzling Plurale Tantum as it comes from the French ''pantalon'', stemming via the buffoonish Commedia Dell'arte -character Pantalone from that Italian word. The Pantalone characters gain their name from the Patron Saint of Venice — Saint Pantaleon . The word '''pants''' was first found in the writings of Edgar Allan Poe.
- In British English, the term refers to ''' Underpants '''. It is a catch-all term that can denote anything from G-strings to Boxer Shorts , but all have the common feature that they are worn under trousers, skirts or pyjamas. The word "pants" has acquired humorous connotations in the last few decades, largely among younger people. Many Stand-up Comedians have used the word as a light Pejorative term. There is a tendency to use it as an adjective. This usage gained wider attention when it came to light that the then- Prime Minister John Major tucked his shirt into his underpants.
- In Canadian drug use slang, "pants" can sometimes be a codeword for Heroin .
- In British slang, "pants" can be used to describe something which is not very good.
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