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-pants in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
Extracted from fancypants.
Suffix
-pants
- (informal, usually derogatory) Used with adjectives ending in -y to form nicknames based on a negative quality of a person.
1986, Babette Cole, Princess Smartypants, Hamish Hamilton, →ISBN:[book title]
- 1999, Eden Robinson, Monkey Beach: A Novel, Abacus, (cited from Houghton Mifflin/Mariner Books, 2002, →ISBN), p. 91:
- We used to call her Miss Bossy Pants when she was a kid.
2005, Lauren Myracle, Rhyme with Witches, Amulet Books, →ISBN, page 21:You had to pull one of your stupid disappearing tricks because you were being a pouty-pants.
- 2012, April 21, Meghan McCarthy, "A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1" , My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
- Gee, maybe her name should be "Princess Demandy Pants".
- bossypants, fancypants, smarty pants, greedy-pants, pouty pants
Usage notes
- Usually the adjective must be two syllables long and end in -y, potentially with an interfix if the original adjective ends in a different sound.
- As with fancypants, usage has not yet settled as to whether this should be separate, linked with a hyphen as a suffixoid, or fused like a normal affix.
Derived terms
Anagrams