Why do they call it a "pair" of jeans, when its just there's only one??

Answer 1

because of the legs

Answer 2

Because english is a product of mankind, therefore its never going to be perfect.

Just like you can:

blow away the competition
blow up a balloon
have the wind blow through your hair
have the winds of memory blow through your mind
blow up the bank
eat a blow pop
blow down, well, you get the idea - its because of the incredible complexities of english that we are able to use one word in so many ways. Sometimes this is not to our advantange.

But, I agree with all the others, I would have to say, on account of the legs being 2 in number. When something comes as "one garment" you don't expect it to be called a pair.

Answer 3

Pants only became a single garment late in their history. Until the late seventeenth century, the garments used to cover legs (most often called "hose") were two sleeves of fabric, tied to the belt with laces (usually called "points")and open at the crotch, which was covered by the tunic, breeches, a codpiece, or not at all. In the high middle ages, only the men of the nobility were allowed to wear short tunics which exposed their genitals -- commoners had to cover up. In the eighteenth century, there was quite a bit of migration in the names of garments, and we ended up calling hose "trousers" and stockings "hose." Pants, short for "pantaloons" and named after a stock character of the Commedia dell'Arte, is an American expression which until recently was considered quite vulgar by the Brits. In any case, whether pants, trousers, breeches, britches, knickers or shorts, the concept has always remained plural even though the garment became singular.

Answer 4

b/c you have 2 legs that makes them a pair

Answer 5

because some kind of idiot decided to call it a pair and now we all do

Answer 6

because there are two legs, thus a pair.

Answer 7

Why do they call it a driveway when you park on it and they call something you drive on a parkway? The world will never know.

Answer 8

2 legs i guess

Answer 9

because it has to leg parts... like for 2 legs

Answer 10

All pants have this oddity in English. Doesn't work with arms (a shirt, a sweater, etc.) or with boobs (a bra, a halter top, etc.).