keep your pants on

The phrase “keep your pants on” is a common idiom used to urge someone to remain calm, patient, or composed. It serves as a way to tell someone not to rush or get overly excited.

First Known Use

The idiom “keep your pants on” appears to have entered colloquial American English in the early 20th century. One of the earliest known printed uses comes from a 1930s American comic strip and pulp fiction dialogue, where the phrase was used to humorously tell someone to calm down or be patient. The exact phrase is documented in informal exchanges by 1935. However, linguistic evidence suggests that similar expressions using clothing as a metaphor for composure were circulating as early as the late 19th century. The idiom builds on the humorous exaggeration that someone in haste or impatience might be metaphorically rushing so much they forget to put on their pants—hence the advice to “keep your pants on” as a way to urge restraint or patience.

Related Idioms and Their Possible Influence

Several related idioms offer insight into the potential roots of “keep your pants on”:

“Keep Your Shirt On”

This idiom shares a similar meaning of staying calm. One theory suggests its origin dates back to times when men might remove their “precious” shirts before engaging in a fight, thus “keeping their shirt on” implied avoiding confrontation and remaining composed. An early printed record of a variation of this phrase appeared in George W. Harris’s 1854 book.

“Keep Your Hair On”

Primarily a colloquial expression from British English, “keep your hair on” also advises someone not to lose their temper. This phrase might stem from the idea of someone becoming so angry or exasperated that they might literally pull their hair out. This expression is documented as appearing in print as early as 1879 and in a dictionary from 1889. There are even anecdotal accounts of it being heard as early as 1853.

“Keep Your Hat On”

Predating both “keep your shirt on” and “keep your hair on,” the phrase “keep your hat on” appeared as early as 1804, also implying a sense of remaining settled or unagitated.

While “keep your shirt on” has an early recording in the USA and “keep your hair on” is a British English idiom that has since spread globally to countries like the US and Australia, the specific country of origin for “keep your pants on” is not definitively established in available records. However, its popular use in English-speaking countries suggests a broad adoption.