[Ads-l] Scissors

[Baker, John]

My earlier email was sent from my iPad.  This email is sent from Outlook on a Windows PC, which has a better track record.  I wrote:

<< A scissor? I do not recall having heard that. I can only say a pair of scissors or, in reference to a particular pair, the scissors.

I do hear singular "pant" more and more, which sounds almost equally odd to me. To my surprise, the American Heritage Dictionary actually treats the singular form as the default, with the following usage note:

Usage Note: You can refer to a single garment either as "pants" or as "a pair of pants." The same holds true not only for other similar garments such as shorts or trousers, but also for other single items that consist of two connected parts, such as glasses or scissors. With pants, the "pair" alludes to the fact that there are two openings for the legs. The use of the singular pant is largely confined to the fields of design, textiles, and fashion: The stylist recommended that the model wear a pant with a checkered print. Pant is also commonly used as the attributive form: pant leg, pant cuff, pant pocket.

John Baker>>


In response, Joe Salmons wrote:

<<A scissors is utterly normal in Wisconsin and occasionally somebody will express surprise that there's another way to say it. You can get 'a scissor' and I think DARE may mention that but some Wisconsinites reject the form. A student did a project a few years ago and found 'a clipper(s)' and various other related forms.
Joe>>


John Baker


From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> On Behalf Of David Daniel
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2023 7:43 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: RES: Scissors

External Email - Think Before You Click


Hi,
The replies from Joe Salmons and Baker, John both came looking like below.
I Know this has been happening in sporadic cases for a long time, but can't
it be fixed?
DAD

-----Mensagem original-----
De: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] Em nome de Joe
Salmons
Enviada em: segunda-feira, 24 de julho de 2023 01:57
Para: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Assunto: Re: Scissors

---------------------- Information from the mail header
-----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>>
Poster: Joe Salmons <jsalmons at WISC.EDU<mailto:jsalmons at WISC.EDU>>
Subject: Re: Scissors
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
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------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org<http://www.americandialect.org>

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