Re: Pïle of Pants.

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>It states it's non-vulgar. 'Pile', tho', has connotations in AmE that edge
>it into that direction, as with the initialism, P.O.S., where P stands for
>pile or piece, the O for of, and S for the s-word.
>
>'Pile' also evokes the alternate name for hemorrhoid, and in the context of
>underwear, well, of 'skid-marks'.
>
>Whatever the Beeb says, it sure looks vulgar to me.

To me too. "Pile of shit" is what is conveyed. The message would be the
same if it were "pile of [insert almost any word, or none at all]".

The Cassell slang dic. says "pants" < earlier "knickers", both meaning
"rubbish" (i.e., in this context, "shit"). "Knickers" in this sense is IMHO
probably euphemism for "knackers" = "testicles".

Compare "Eat my shorts", another transparent euphemism for something or
other, popularized by "The Simpsons". In Britain, "pants" is close to
"shorts" in meaning, I think.

Is "pile" = "hemorrhoid" used by the same persons who would use "pile of
pants"?

-- Doug Wilson