When someone says "a pair of shorts," do they mean 2 shorts or only one?

Answer 1

However, let's look at the problem in a literal point of view. A pair means 2, so it's the right thing to conclude that when someone says a pair of shorts, that person is literally saying 2 shorts.

Answer 2

If I were to say "a pair of shorts", I would mean 1 pair of shorts.

Answer 3

They mean one garment. English has a bunch of these plural names for singular things: a pair of eyeglasses, a pair of trousers, a pair of pants a pair of jeans, for example. I can only surmise it is because there are two parts to the item; in clothing the legs each constitute the pair and in the eyeglasses, each lens.

Of course this is not applied to a shirt, which has two arms or sleeves... just another interesting linguistic feature of English.

Answer 4

It's just one . We use the slang of telling someone to go find a pair of shorts.

Answer 5

a pair of shorts a pair of pants

Answer 6

Only one. Because there are two legs so they say a pair.

Answer 7

only one... me and my man have this argument all the time. I say a pair of trousers he just says trouser. I explained to him it has something to do with them having two leg holes as to why they are called a pair. Like a pair of knickers, and he said why isn't a t-shirt called a pair as it has two arm holes... That i can't figure out, its just the English language i guess, po-tate-oh, pa-tat-oh

Answer 8

A pair of shorts has two pant legs.
-MM

Answer 9

One, it is a pair, just like pants. There are two leg holes sewn together that makes it a pair. I know it is wierd, but just think that way.

Answer 10

it's one
because "pair" makes two, which equals one. cuz if you say "one short" than that's one short leg
its kinda weird the way i put it