Can I use the thing that's paired as an adjective to "pair"?
If yes, should sock be singular or plural?
"sock pair"? or "socks pair"?
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Heh heh. How about a "brace" of socks? english.stackexchange.com/questions/124850/…– BillOnneAug 18, 2022 at 14:19
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1 Answer
No, you can't. You can leave out pair -
I'm putting my socks on.
May I borrow your binoculars?
- but it has to be a pair of X.
answered Aug 18, 2022 at 12:20
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2That's true for socks, but it's not true for all X - for instance electron pair is common in chemistry, and dog pair in dog sledging. In the cases where "X pair" is acceptable, X must be singular.– psmearsAug 18, 2022 at 13:27
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1@psmears - OK - I stand corrected. I think it's true of paired garments, spectacles and the like, though. Aug 18, 2022 at 13:30
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2@manishma - psmears' examples demonstrate jargon that does not follow the idiomatic standard. Atomic scientists and sledgers (i.e. people who race dog-sleds) speak amongst themselves however they choose.– EllieKAug 18, 2022 at 13:50
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1@EllieK-Don'tsupporther: Might it not also be relevant that a single dog and a single electron are perfectly natural things to exist on their own. But a single sock is pretty worthless even if you have one (and a single binocular or trouser can't exist in the first place! :) Aug 18, 2022 at 14:07