big-boy pants

See also: big boy pants

English

Alternative forms

big boy pants

Etymology

From big boy.

Noun

big-boy pants pl (plural only)

(informal) Pull-up underwear worn by a boy during and after toilet training, as contrasted to the diapers worn during infancy.
Hypernym: underpants

Coordinate term: big-girl pants
- 1983, Randall Wallace, So Late Into the Night, Doubleday, published 1983, →ISBN, page 29:
  Taking the baby from Kidd she snatched the screaming Davey by the wrist and half-carried him up the stairs yelling, "You wanna wear big-boy pants? Big boys wear big-boy pants, but big boys use the potty!"
- 1987, Eleanor Weisberger, When Your Child Needs You: A Parents' Guide Through the Early Years, Adler & Adler, published 1987, →ISBN, page 31:
  "And so," you continue, "I'm putting your diapers away because you can now wear big boy pants and do your poop and pee-pee in the potty chair all by yourself."
- 2000, Timothy A. Buzzard, Guru in a Little Boy Suit‎^[1], Trafford Publishing, published 2000, →ISBN:
  “We've switched to big-boy pants. No more diapers,” his mom said a little too loud, so Alec would hear.
(informal, figuratively) A notional pair of trousers or underwear worn by a male when acting maturely.
Antonyms: bitchy pants, grumpy pants, scaredy pants

Coordinate term: big-girl pants
- 2011, David H. Hoffman, "Ugly election rhetoric" [letter to the editor], Suburban Life, 25 May 2011, page A8:
  If Horwitz is planning on running for office again in the future (and it certainly looks that way), perhaps it's time he put on his big-boy pants and engage in civil discourse.
- 2012 April 12, Alissa Gulin, “Keystone Pipeline: It won't unlock the future”, in The Diamondback, volume 102, number 125, University of Maryland, page 4:
  He needs to put on his big boy pants and make the tough choice.
- 2014, "Jewish Community Football League Playoffs and Championship!", The Baltimore Jewish Home, 11 December 2014 - 25 December 2014, Volume 1, Issue 21, page 19:
  Even with a broken finger, Wach put on his big boy pants, wrapped his hand, and dominated on the offensive line all game.

Related terms

in short pants