Pants List

Shoes have many different names, but nothing like the list associated with pants.

We have defined pant as any garment that covers the lower half of the body and is sewn together at the crotch, thus affording two leg openings.

We have started a different list of pant substitutes and pant incorporations. We have listed items that may be worn as outerwear by people other than Madonna, but have included underwear because the words are fun.

Thanks to all the many email correspondents for their contributions

  • Baggies
  • Bags
  • Bathing costume (Br.)
  • Bathing suit
  • Beachcombers
  • Bell Bottoms
  • Bermuda shorts
  • Bikini
  • Bloomers
  • Bombaches (SA wide black pants worn by Argentine gauchos)
  • Bondage trousers (Br. UK punk rocker attire)
  • Boxer shorts
  • Briefs
  • Britches
  • Capris
  • Chaps
  • Chinos
  • Cigarette
  • Clam diggers
  • Cords
  • Cricket flannels (Br. see: Flannels)
  • Culottes
  • Cut-offs
  • Daks (AU/NZ cutoffs)
  • Denims
  • Drainpipes (Br. tight-legged tr.)
  • Drawers
  • Dungarees
  • Elephant
  • Fatigues
  • Flannels (Br. tr. made from soft cotton)
  • Flares
  • Flood pants (above-the-ankle mens’ pants)
  • Gauchos
  • Grape smuggler (surfer slang for Speedos)
  • Harem
  • High-waders
  • Hip-huggers
  • Hipsters (Br. low-cut at the waist)
  • Hot pants
  • Jamaicas
  • Jams
  • Jeans
  • Jodphurs
  • Jumper (as in: “See my jumper hanging upside your wall…)
  • Kecks (No. Br. related to khakis)
  • Khaks (Irish slang)
  • Khakis
  • Knickers (usu. female undergarment)
  • Knickerbockers
  • Leathers
  • Lederhosen
  • Leggings
  • Manchesters
  • Overalls
  • Oxford bags (Br. for wide-legged tr. w/ turnups)
  • Palazzo
  • Pantaloons
  • Panties
  • Pants
  • Pecker suit (Euro. male swim brief)
  • Pedal pushers
  • Peg
  • Petit Pants
  • Pleasted
  • Plus-fours
  • Pyjama
  • Scrubs (as in surgical)
  • Short shorts
  • Shorts
  • Ski pants
  • Skivvies
  • Skort
  • Slacks
  • Soakers (early woolen diapers)
  • Spankies
  • Stovepipe
  • Strides (AU/NZ long pants)
  • Struks (Polish, pron. strooks)
  • Sweat
  • Swim suit
  • Thong
  • Toreadors
  • Trews (Br., spec. Sctsh; espc: plaid)
  • Trousers (abbr. “tr.” thoughout this doc.)
  • Trunks
  • Waders
  • Wide Bottoms (designated by circumference of bottom cuff, e.g.: “60 inchers”, etc.)
Here’s a quiz:

Please place these in descending order (from knee to ankle) of relative length, in other words, from shortest to longest cut:

Pedal pushers, Gauchos, Clam diggers, Capris, Toreadors, Britches.

Pant substitutes and pant incorporations:
  • Coveralls
  • Dhoti
  • Diaper
  • Fig leaf
  • Kilt
  • Loincloth
  • Nappy (Br. diaper)
  • Overalls (Bibs)
  • Sarong
Brand names that approach generic names:
  • Dockers
  • Levis
  • Sansabelt
  • Zubaz©
Pant allusions:
  • Fancy p.
  • Smarty p.
  • Too big for your p.
Pant tunes:
  • Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On (M. McDaniel)
  • Baggy Trousers (Madness)
  • Bell Bottom Blues (E. Clapton)
  • Black Slacks
  • Blue Jean Blues
  • Blue Jean Bop (G. Vincent)
  • Blue Jean Gal (D. Keller)
  • Blue Jeans and Moonbeams (C. Beefheart)
  • Blues and Pants (J. Brown)
  • Can’t Dance, I Got Ants In My Pants (S. Milton)
  • Donald, Where’s Your Trousers? (A. Stewart,1960)
  • Forever In Blue Jeans (N. Diamond)
  • Hot Pants (J. Brown )
  • Jeans On (D. Dundas)
  • Pink Peg Slacks (E. Cochran, 1955)
  • Trouser Press (Bonzo Dog Band)
  • Who Wears Short Shorts? (Freddie & Dreamers)
  • You Make My Pants Want To Get Up And Dance (Dr. Hook)