Today I said goodbye to a dear, old friend. I bought this pair of Nike mesh shorts when I was in Junior High. It was one of the first purchases I ever made after my parents had us start buying our own clothes with the allowance money they gave us. It felt like a lot of money to spend on brand name shorts at the time. However, this pair of shorts has literally been worn and washed hundreds of times. They got worn to P.E., volleyball practices, track practices, basketball games, the pool, aerobics classes and general summer wear for 15 years. (That sounds almost awful!) Amazingly enough, the shorts still look okay, but the elastic waistband creaks when stretched, and they just don't stay up anymore. They lasted through two pregnancies, but I just had to call it quits today. They will be sorely missed. On a happier note, the matching red pair is still going strong even though it is now multi-colored since it has been "painting clothes" for the last 6 years. They weren't worn quite as often (didn't match as many shirts).
On a confused note, what is the proper pronoun to use in reference to a pair of shorts? I've flipped back and forth between "it" and "they" while composing this post. Help me out English nuts!
As an English nut, I would say your use of "it" and "they" was very appropriate! So, who ever decided to call it a "pair" of shorts anyway (or a "pair" of pants for that matter)? I just see one thing to wear. I suppose there is something somewhere that explains the orgin, my guess being that it refers to each leg as a part of the "pair." Anyway, it is sad to see the good old comfy clothes wear out!
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