Pants

Well, 'pants' are always underwear in Britain (except that the American usage is occasionally applied to the lower half of the casual wear which we used to call a 'tracksuit' (as worn by athletes whilst waiting to compete). I have only ever heard the term 'britches' used in connection with the kind of garment worn when horse riding. I would normally call them 'jodhpurs' (a word from British India) but some call then 'riding britches'. Other than that, I associate the word with the 17th and 18th century man's garment which was worn with stockings and buckled (or buttoned) just below the knee. I believe that 'breeks' is still in use for regular trousers in Scotland, however. The common British terms for such garments are 'trousers' for most full length garments, 'shorts' for anything ending from the calf to above the knee, 'jeans' (or 'denims') originally applied specifically to the blue denim garment (and only arrived in England in the late '50s and early '60s) but 'jeans' now seems to apply also to garments in other colours and fabrics but of a similar style. In the case of suits of clothing, such as pyjamas or track suits, the trouser part is often referred to as the 'bottoms', hence 'trakkie bottoms' for jogging pants. Wikipedia has a more than usually fascinating article on 'Britches':

I don't know whether you have these expression in the States, but in England, one sometimes hears "It's pants!" to describe something which is absolutely useless and not up to the job and "Oh, Knickers!" as a mild expletive. Both are connected with the inconvenience (and 'unmentionable' aspect, perhaps) of underwear, presumably..

I always called them pants..but I think britches are kind of a country or old fashioned term, sort of like dungarees for jeans. Roomie calls the refrigerator the icebox and he is younger than I am!! Another old fashioned term that isn't used alot other than maybe fashion pages are trousers.

I never heard britches, I call them trousers, I suppose it's more British than American, but you cannot mistake the "trousers" with "pants underwear" at least.

When I was younger, I said britches sometimes. Somehow over the years it changed to pants.

I call them pants or jeans. Some people say they are slacks. I have heard the term britches. It is usually with something like, "keep your britches on." when someone is impatient or demanding.

Trousers most times but the word britches was used before where I came from and I think I heard that used a lot on the Tv. series "The Waltons" not sure though now its been ages back since I saw that. Maybe in a western also they would use that term. Pants where I come from would be called knickers for us girls at least anyway like the expression don´t get your knickers in a twist very common saying that one.

Britches . . . I was thinking "horse riding pants" at first . . . but I looked it up and I was thinking "breeches" . Ok, then I didn't know what exactly "britches" were. I say pants in general . . . but I do say jeans, sweat pants, and leggings for those items.

I haven't heard that word used by anyone around here in decades. Dad used to say "don't get your britches in a bunch" if mom got upset over something he did but other than that I never actually heard anyone use the word.

I've heard the term and would instantly know what you were talking about... :) I will have to check with the grandchildren to see if they know the word!!!

I've used britches too. That's what my mama called them.

Knickers. Oh, not underwear? Well, trousers, jeans, leggings, jeggings or trackie bottoms, dependent entirely on which I'm talking about. :)

I know the older folk called them britches, as my grandmother did when i was growing up. But ive always called them pants

'Pants' has a narrow meaning here which is 'underwear', that's all.

My goodness, I haven't heard that word britches in a long time! But it was certainly around when I was a child, we didn't call them pants then.

We call pants britches too. I had speech therapy too when I was little.

I call pants as pants and seldom trousers.I even call bermudas as pants. I got acquainted with the word britches in some English prose but the spelling was different,it was written as 'breeches'