different between trousers vs inexpressibles

English

Etymology

Attested since the 1610s, from the earlier form trouzes (attested since the 1580s), extended from trouse (1570s), with plural ending typical of things in pairs, from Middle Irish triubhas (“close-fitting shorts”), of uncertain origin. The unexplained intrusive second -r- is perhaps due to the influence of drawers.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?t?a?z?z/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?t?a?z?z/
• Hyphenation: trou?sers

Noun

trousers pl (plural only)

1. An article of clothing that covers the part of the body between the waist and the ankles or knees, and is divided into a separate part for each leg.

   Synonyms: breeches, britches, (all Britain, dialectal) kecks, (chiefly US) pants, (Australia) strides; see also Thesaurus:trousers

Usage notes

• Pants is about four times more common in the US than trousers, based on use in COCA.
• Trousers is about nine times more common in the UK than pants, based on use in BNC.
• Slacks about one tenth as common as pants in the US and trousers in the UK.

Hyponyms

• jeans
• pantaloons
• shorts
• slacks

Derived terms

• whoops, there go my trousers

Translations

References

Anagrams

• rousters

English

Etymology

From inexpressible +? -s. Compare unmentionables (“underwear”).

Noun

inexpressibles pl (plural only)

1. (colloquial, dated) Breeches, trousers.
   • 1796, Edward Gibbon, letter, in Memoirs of My Life, Penguin 1990, p. 196:

     Have you never observed, through my inexpressibles, a large prominency, circa genitalia? It was a swelled testicle […] .

   • 1833-36, Charles Dickens, Sketches by Boz, "The Out and Out Young Gentleman", in The Oxford Illustrated Dickens, p. 596:

     For some years past the favorite costume of the out-and-out young gentleman has been a rough pilot coat, with two gilt hooks and eyes to the velvet collar; buttons somewhat larger than crown-pieces; a black or fancy neckerchief, loosely tied; a wide-brimmed hat, with a low crown; tightish inexpressibles, and iron-shod boots.

   • 1832, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Eugene Aram

     "Well , my good man ," said he , brushing off , with the arm of his coat , some dust that had settled on his inexpressibles