It’s knickers not knicker!!

[Magpiesalute]

Why are people constantly changing things that should be plural into a singular.

eg. “Free knicker with every bra” or “she sported a red lip” and “he went for a black trouser”.

Drives me nuts. It is knickers! Sported red lips! Black trousers. And yes, these are UK examples.

I know people are going to come along and wonder if I haven’t got better things to worry about. But interested to know…AIBU?

YABU - move with the times, language evolves.
YANBU - it’s knickers, FFS!!

Don't get your knicker elastic in a knot.
And yes, it's knicker

Drives me crazy too.

I’ve heard someone on Instagram refer to a pyjama top as a “pyjama” recently and it made me cringe. Unless it’s some weird regional variant I don’t understand…?! (As in “this top is a pyjama” - no, it’s a pyjama top). I mean in the grand scheme of things who cares but it just annoyed me 😆

I was similarly outraged when I saw the word ‘brushings’ as a plural noun on my Colgate mouthwash bottle.

Trinny and Susannah have been doing this since about 1996 - “a taupe trouser goes beautifully with a heeled mule”

Ah Trinny and Sussanah, loved it [misses point of thread]

It's a trouser suit, though. Trouser leg. Trouser zip, maybe?

I've never heard anyone talk like this. If someone i know said they "sported a red lip" i think i would laugh in their face!

Is it people trying to be 'unique' and make up new words? (Yes I'm looking at you Davina and your 'menopausing')

I like “a smokey eye and a red lip”

conjures up a great image of one eye heavily made up and one bright red lip.

Yeah. Drive me nut.

😉

Totally agree with you OP. While we’re at it can we reclassify school holidays, HALF TERMS come in the middle of each of the 3 terms and not between the different terms.

I hate the whole “red lip” thing. It’s red lips!! No one just has one red lip, do they? Just sounds insane.

God don't get more onto 'lovely casual Tee' its T-shirt ffs

I used to have a friend who would call a bra a pair of bras; her logic being that as it had two cups it was a 'pair'.

Oddly enough though, she would also talk about a knicker rather than a pair of knickers. I did point out to her that knickers had two leg holes so by her logic should also be a pair. Never managed to convince her though.

This was back in the very early 70s.

On the other hand I cannot abide the phrase Legos, as used by Americans. It drives me utterly insane, its LEGO or LEGO bricks not Legos, the clue is in the name ffs

Brushings??!!! No. Not acceptable.

Oh yes. That drives me bonkers as well.

What about knicker drawer though? It’s not knickers drawer… or is it??

Have you used a scissors recently?

Gosh yes to the half term. Ive only come across that more recently - someone saying "after half term" and meaning easter holidays.

DH never uses pounds. For example, my car has just failed its MOT and it's cost me "400 pound" according to him. I have to work very hard not to hiss "SSSSSSSSS" at him when he does it.

It is knicker drawer, you’re right! For some reason, that’s okay. 😂

Knickers is the noun, and knicker (as in knicker elastic, knicker draw etc) is called a noun modifier.
Trousers is the noun and trouser is the modifier noun (as in trouser pocket).
Trouser is also a verb (he will trouser £8,000).
Lip is perfectly acceptable as a singular noun (I've cut my lip, she has a cat tattoo on her lip), but if someone is sporting a red lip, I would wonder what colour the other one was.

When did blusher start being called blush in the UK?
Is it an Americanism?
Ive only started hearing it in the last ten years.

Sweing Bee do this all the time 'a trouser' 'a knicker' 'a pant' . I kind of get it. We say 'a trouser suit' not 'a trousers suit'. The generic word is singular but the individual is plural for some reason.