in order to avoid code-tweaks to say “this jacket” but “these pants” i am now reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trousers.

(spoiler alert, i can’t avoid it:

Various people in the fashion industry use the words trouser or pant instead of trousers or pants. This is nonstandard usage. The words “trousers” and “pants” are pluralia tantum, nouns that generally only appear in plural form—much like the words “scissors” and “tongs”. However, the singular form is used in some compound words, such astrouser-leg, trouser-press and trouser-bottoms.^[3]

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