See also: pants

English

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Etymology

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Extracted from fancypants.

Suffix

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-pants

  1. (informal, usually derogatory) Used with adjectives ending in -y to form nicknames based on a negative quality of a person.
    • 1986, Babette Cole, Princess Smartypants, Hamish Hamilton, →ISBN:
      [book title]
    • 1999, Eden Robinson, Monkey Beach: A Novel, Abacus, (cited from Houghton Mifflin/Mariner Books, 2002, →ISBN), p. 91:
      We used to call her Miss Bossy Pants when she was a kid.
    • 2005, Lauren Myracle, Rhyme with Witches, Amulet Books, →ISBN, page 21:
      You had to pull one of your stupid disappearing tricks because you were being a pouty-pants.
    • 2012, April 21, Meghan McCarthy, "A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1" [television episode], My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
      Gee, maybe her name should be "Princess Demandy Pants".
    bossypants, fancypants, smarty pants, greedy-pants, pouty pants

Usage notes

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  • Usually the adjective must be two syllables long and end in -y, potentially with an interfix if the original adjective ends in a different sound.
  • As with fancypants, usage has not yet settled as to whether this should be separate, linked with a hyphen as a suffixoid, or fused like a normal affix.

Derived terms

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Anagrams

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