a few years ago everyone called them trousers, but everyone round here - tho they are all chavs, call them pants. i know it technically is correct, but it sounds wrong!
Its regional as well I think. My husband and his parents call them pants and dresses, frocks- he is from Newcastle upon Tyne. I have never met anyone from the South West (my area) or the Midlands (where we live) call trousers anything else.
What part of Cumbria? I'm in Carlisle and haven't heard it here - but then I don't talk to chavs, and my kids are grebos! Perhaps the chavs are watching too many American programs.......
west cumbria, and everyone says it. even old people. i used to live in carlisle and everyone said it there too. i just find it rather odd. and no matter how many phrases ans sayings i pick up... i won't be calling trousers pants:)
I'm in Yorkshire and we call trousers, pants or vice versa. I'll use both words when describing the same thing! Never thought about it to be honest!
I know that it Jersey, pants are your underware. A friend of mine lives there (who moved from Yorkshire) and when going to work one morning in the rain, she got soaked through. When she got to work she said "my pants are soaked!" The office thought she just wet herself and gave her some right funny looks.
What men wear over their legs is called trousers in the UK and pants in USA. Full list of different usage of English words can be found here: http://www.bibliodata.com/article/ukus.htm