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Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2010Sleeve : Arm :: ??? : Leg
It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of what I am sure must be a common word. What's the word for the ends of my trouser legs? In the old days it would have been "cuffs", but that's no longer accurate. The specific context is that, when I take off my shoes and walk in stocking(*) feet, I end up stepping on my __________. (*) "Stocking feet" still seems to be the current term, even though I have never worn stockings in my life. But "sock feet" seems wrong. I could say"shoeless feet", I suppose, but that seems a little odd.  SignatureStan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com Shikata ga nai... > It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of > what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > have never worn stockings in my life. But "sock feet" seems wrong. > I could say"shoeless feet", I suppose, but that seems a little odd. "The hem of my trousers"? SignatureCheryl > It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of > what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > have never worn stockings in my life. But "sock feet" seems wrong. > I could say"shoeless feet", I suppose, but that seems a little odd. You end up stepping on the hem of your trousers. SignatureJames >> It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of >> what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > You end up stepping on the hem of your trousers. Isn't the hem the sewn up stitching about one inch from the ground level? >>> It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of >>> what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Isn't the hem the sewn up stitching about one inch > from the ground level? I would say that the hem is all the material below the stitching. SignatureRay UK >> It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of >> what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > You end up stepping on the hem of your trousers. The word is "bottoms", isn't it? Trousers with sixteen-inch bottoms. Bell-bottoms. Wide bottoms. "...I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled." SignatureMike. >>> It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of >>> what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Bell-bottoms. Wide bottoms. "...I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers > rolled." So long as you don't expose your bottom. SignatureRob Bannister Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm>: >The specific context is that, when I take off my shoes and walk in >stocking(*) feet, I end up stepping on my __________. I'd say simply "trousers". In the old days I might have said "turn-ups". SignatureMike Barnes Cheshire, England >Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm>: >>The specific context is that, when I take off my shoes and walk in >>stocking(*) feet, I end up stepping on my __________. > >I'd say simply "trousers". In the old days I might have said "turn-ups". I'd say "pants legs" - maybe even just "pants" - knowing full-well that I am only treading on the ends. I can't imagine any AmE native speaker not understanding this. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida tony wrote on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:32:27 -0500: >> Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm>: >>> The specific context is that, when I take off my shoes and [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> I'd say simply "trousers". In the old days I might have said >> "turn-ups". > I'd say "pants legs" - maybe even just "pants" - knowing > full-well that I am only treading on the ends. I can't > imagine any AmE native speaker not understanding this. How about "Hot Pants"? Treading on the hems might take a contortionist. SignatureJames Silverton Potomac, Maryland Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not > tony wrote on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:32:27 -0500: > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >How about "Hot Pants"? Treading on the hems might take a contortionist. Or someone else's foot. SignatureRobin (BrE) Herts, England >It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of >what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >have never worn stockings in my life. But "sock feet" seems wrong. >I could say"shoeless feet", I suppose, but that seems a little odd. Cuffs, in AmE. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of > what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > http://OakRoadSystems.com > Shikata ga nai... I remember that walking home through wet grass as a child would always elicit a scolding for getting my trouser bottoms wet.depun I think probably that this is the term I would still use. Stan Brown: > "Stocking feet" still seems to be the current term, even though I have > never worn stockings in my life. But "sock feet" seems wrong. I could > say"shoeless feet", I suppose, but that seems a little odd. I would say "stocking soles", but I've had some queer looks. OED has "stocking-foot": a. That part of a stocking which covers the foot. b. As a purse or receptacle for money laid by. Chiefly fig. c. (in, on) one's stocking feet: with only one's stockings on one's feet, without one's shoes. d. The loose or pendent part of a stocking-cap. rare{em}1. Hence stocking-footed, (-feeted) a., having stocking-feet; in stocking feet. SignatureJohn > Stan Brown: > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Hence stocking-footed, (-feeted) a., having stocking-feet; in > stocking feet. I think I remember from my jogging days that in athletic-shoe-speak the "sock foot" is the fabric liner of a shoe. Toe box. Heel counter. Midsole. What are all those things? For a brief time in seventh or eighth grade, there was a fad of decorating the bottom inch of pants legs with studs or embroidery. That was after the fad of buying jeans six inches too long and folding the bottoms of the pants legs up with the inside of the legs on the outside. Followed by folding the same amount inside the pants legs. Now the extra length is allowed to pile up on the tops of your pointy-toed cowboy boots. Another style is baggy pants, pants with wide legs that don't reach the top of your socks. Or pants with the crotch below knee height, together with skin-tight pants legs. Look like a clown with your pants on the ground. SignatureFrank ess -- Frank ess > It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of > what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > The specific context is that, when I take off my shoes and walk in > stocking(*) feet, I end up stepping on my __________. ... I say "cuffs". I cuff my pants when I'm in my stocking feet so I don't step on my cuffs. -- Jerry Friedman > It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of > what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > The specific context is that, when I take off my shoes and walk in > stocking(*) feet, I end up stepping on my __________. Floor. > It's been bothering me for several days now, but I can't think of > what I am sure must be a common word. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > have never worn stockings in my life. But "sock feet" seems wrong. > I could say"shoeless feet", I suppose, but that seems a little odd. I have always said "stockinged feet" and shall continue to do so whatever dictionaries claim. Stockings do not always refer to pantyhose without the top part: under certain circumstances and in specialised contexts, they can refer to any type of hose or hosiery. SignatureRob Bannister Robert Bannister filted: >> (*) "Stocking feet" still seems to be the current term, even though I >> have never worn stockings in my life. But "sock feet" seems wrong. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >without the top part: under certain circumstances and in specialised >contexts, they can refer to any type of hose or hosiery. Yes...Clem Moore wasn't picturing sheer silk tights or fishnets hung by the chimney with care.... Or perhaps he was...I suppose that would depend upon what he expected to get for Christmas....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > Robert Bannister filted: >>> (*) "Stocking feet" still seems to be the current term, even though I [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Or perhaps he was...I suppose that would depend upon what he expected to get for > Christmas....r I nearly had a smart reply to that, but my mind has become befuddled with images of silk thingies. SignatureRob Bannister |
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