Your big-boy pants

[Laurence Horn]

On Jun 13, 2014, at 11:05 AM, Robin Hamilton wrote:

> <<
> From: paul johnson
>
> I've been hearing "big girl panties" used that way for a minimum of 10
> years.
>>>
>
> Influenced by UK (?) slang, "big girl's blouse"?
>
> Robin Hamilton

and in the UK there's also, unsurprisingly, "to put on one's big girl's knickers":
http://www.biggirlknickers.com/

LH


>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On 6/13/2014 7:32 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>> Philip Mudd, ex-CIA analyst, on CNN re Bergdahl:
>>
>> "As I said in the past, you gotta strap your big-boy pants on, 'cause
>> there
>> ain't no good decisions!"
>>
>> SWAG: suggested by the checked pants of the Big Boy Restaurant Big Boy.
>>
>> And "You're a big boy now."
>>
>> 271,000 raw hits for "your big boy pants on."
>>
>> JL
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org