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Scales- plural?

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ksl
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Post by ksl » Fri, 26 Jun 2009 1:36 pm

cbavasi wrote:
ksl wrote: The snickering is probably because they found it funny, laughable, that you have to sit there in wet pants. It's a kind of sick humour, that many cultures find hard to grasp, it would be even funnier if you died of cold, if you see what i mean.
No... this was a pretty raunchy group... they later told me "pants" was "underpants" and my original statement may have been more like "my pants are soaking wet" :o
Oh I would have said the same and I'm a Brit :???: Because it also does mean trousers, or short pants, they probably was teasing you. With regards to underpants, it is very rarely used, because if one shouts to mum, it's always where are my underpants, if we shout pants, she would obviously think trousers.

pants[pænts]
n. trousers, pantaloons; underwear, panties, underpants; (British) shorts

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littlegreenman
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Post by littlegreenman » Fri, 26 Jun 2009 4:29 pm

cbavasi wrote:
ksl wrote: The snickering is probably because they found it funny, laughable, that you have to sit there in wet pants. It's a kind of sick humour, that many cultures find hard to grasp, it would be even funnier if you died of cold, if you see what i mean.
No... this was a pretty raunchy group... they later told me "pants" was "underpants" and my original statement may have been more like "my pants are soaking wet" :o
That is how I read it... like he wet himself or something else "that doesn't belong in this forums as minors could be here". Hilarious.

mrdodge
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Post by mrdodge » Sat, 27 Jun 2009 5:54 pm

bigfilsing wrote:good question.

I've always used " A set of scales"

I think scaleS refers to the fact that there are multiple scales ( kilos and grams for example) not sure thou.

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When i reached my 40th ( mid life crisis) birthday my wife asked me what i wanted as a present. Being a smart arse i replied "something that goes from naught to 100 in 3 seonds"
She bought me bathroom scales
Though it might also be that historically scales were balanced pan scales. If anyone remembers your average gold rush western movie, those are the sort of scales in use for quite some time. They came in a box with a set of pans, balancing weights and arms. So its just an anachronism which has managed to survive , a pair of pliers being another that comes to mind

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