trou (1970)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 12/26/06, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> The latest OED draft entry for "trou" as a clipped form of "trousers"
> identifies it as a New Zealandism, with a first cite of 1971. And the
> phrase "drop trou" = 'pull down one's pants' is identified as "orig.
> and chiefly U.S." with a first cite of 1976.

Here's an antedating for "drop trou", in an article quoting a streaker
at the Naval Academy:

1974 _Evening Capital_ (Annapolis, Md.) 16 mar. 1/5 I just 'dropped
trou' (took off his clothes) at Smoke Hall and ran right past the
Office of the Day, through the mess hall and out the other end.



--Ben Zimmer

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