The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท K

Keep your pants on

Meaning

An informal way of telling someone to calm down or be patient. It is usually used when someone is being unnecessarily hurried or excited.

Playful, dismissive

Used in a sentence

  • Keep your pants on, I will have your coffee ready in a second.
  • I said I would fix the sink, so keep your pants on.
  • The line is long, but keep your pants on, we will get inside eventually.

The backstory

This is a classic variation of keep your shirt on. It gained traction in the mid-20th century as a humorous way to diffuse tension.

Heard in

Nationwide

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