# Scissors or pair of scissors?



## Roymalika

I went to one of my friend's house. I saw his scissors. They were not sharp.
I said to him
Your *scissors/pair of scissors *are dull. Please buy new scissors.

Which one should I use in this sentence? Scissors or pair of scissors?


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## Rover_KE

scissors


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## The Newt

"Your *scissors *are dull" is fine.


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## Roymalika

The Newt said:


> "Your *scissors *are dull" is fine.


Thanks a lot. What's wrong with "pair of scissors" in that sentence?


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## The Newt

You could say "your pair of scissors *is* dull" (the subject is technically "pair"), but we would rarely do so, just as we wouldn't say "my pair of pants doesn't fit."


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## heypresto

It would sound very odd. We just wouldn't say it.

In the same way as you correctly said 'I saw his scissors'. You wouldn't say 'I saw his pair of scissors.'


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## exgerman

Usually, "pair of scissors" is used only when there is a number: one pair of scissors, two pair*s* of scissors, etc.


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## velisarius

_- Those scissors are *blunt.* You need to get a better pair/some new ones.
- You're right. I need* a really good pair of scissors/some really good scissors* for this job. _(In this sentence I could use either.)


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## JulianStuart

Don't forget you may encounter "a scissors" in AE.


> There's a scissors on the table; could you hand it to me?  [countable;  used with a singular verb]


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## owlman5

JulianStuart said:


> Don't forget you may encounter "a scissors" in AE.


I keep waiting to hear that one day, Julian, but I'm running out of time.  I'm beginning to suspect that this possibility is more theoretical than real.


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## JulianStuart

Could well be regional - I've heard several groups (usually families who all learnt it from their elders) use the term. It sounded weird when I first heard it in the US and then I looked it up and noticed it from then on


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## owlman5

JulianStuart said:


> Could well be regional


It could well be.  Did you hear that use somewhere in California?


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## JulianStuart

Both in California and upstate New York.


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## owlman5

Thank you.  Now I know where to go if I really get an urge to hear somebody use _a scissors.  _I vaguely recall hearing somebody ask me for _a pliers _before. That sounded very strange to me, which is why I remember such an insignificant thing, I suppose.


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## PaulQ

Roymalika said:


> Your *scissors/pair of scissors *are dull.


The Google Ngram for *scissors,pair of scissors* is interesting. 




To interpret it, you have to subtract the percentage of the occurrences of "pair of scissors" from "scissors" as obviously, scissors will appear in both. That said, "scissors" is far more common than "a pair of scissors.

Your *scissors *are blunt.


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## velisarius

owlman5 said:


> I vaguely recall hearing somebody ask me for _a pliars _before. That sounded very strange to me


Yes, absolutely, and even _a pliers_ sounds strange to me.


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## JulianStuart

Here are two snapshots from Ngrams (using " * scissors" as search term) from 2005, one for AE and the other from BE.  "A scissor seems to be more common in AE than BE but only a tiny fraction of all pairs of words ending in scissors  "Usual Ngram caveats apply"™ Notably absent from the top ten lists is "some scissors"  If you specify "some scissors" , it comes in around the same as curved and pointed scissors.


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## Linkway

Cutting-edge technology, it seems!


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## heypresto

You're sharp this evening.


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## Edinburgher

Never a dull moment.


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## RM1(SS)

No need to get snippy....


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## zaffy

exgerman said:


> Usually, "pair of scissors" is used only when there is a number: one pair of scissors, two pair*s* of scissors, etc.


And can I say "two scissors", instead of "two pairs of scissors"?


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## heypresto

In short, no.


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## zaffy

And when scissors become an adjective, if they can in the first place, do I need to say "scissor"? For example, "This town is well known for a scissor industry". I don't know if that example works at all.


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## heypresto

Hmmm. Good question. I _think _that's OK. (Well, maybe 'it' rather than 'a'). But I doubt if you will ever _need_ to say this, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.


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## Hermione Golightly

It seems to me that "...its scissor industry." is acceptable.


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## zaffy

so as an adjective, "scissor*s* industry" will not work, right?


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## sound shift

zaffy said:


> so as an adjective, "scissor*s* industry" will not work, right?


That's right.


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## heypresto

A quick google reveals that 'scissors industry' _is_ used.


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## sound shift

Oh well, in that case you can ignore #28, zaffy.


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## zaffy

I found this. So do you like it? Or would you still say "surgical scissor market"?


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## heypresto

Quite honestly, I really don't think it matters much. The likelihood of having to say or write 'scissor/s industry' is very slim. Use either.

And I found this, among many other examples: "Bear in mind that the scissor industry in the United States is . . . "


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## zaffy

And does either of these work?

_a good pair of scissors vs. a pair of good scissors _


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## heypresto

_A good pair of scissors.   
A pair of good scissors.  _This is probably correct, but it sounds odd.


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## zaffy

Thanks, that's the way we would say in Polish and the English version sounds very odd to us.  Languages are so different.


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## heypresto

zaffy said:


> Languages are so different


 As you and I both discover every day about the various types of English.


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## ewie

JulianStuart said:


> Don't forget you may encounter "a scissors" in AE.


<ahem> I say _a scissors_. I've no idea why.


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## heypresto

Is it a Lancashire thing? Or just a ewie thing?


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## Florentia52

I remember an early “Peanuts” cartoon by Charles Schulz where one character (Lucy) says of her brother (Linus) that “He’s not very good yet with a scissors.” It still sounds unusual to me, but it’s not unheard of.


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## Edinburgher

Whatever next?
_Oh look, there's *a jeans* on the washing line.  I'd forgotten that *it* was still there._


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## ewie

heypresto said:


> Is it a Lancashire thing? Or just a ewie thing?


As I say, Mr Presto, I've absolutely no idea where I picked it up ~ I don't know that anyone else in my environs says it


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## heypresto

Good to see that you don't have a singular environ as well.


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## ewie




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## JulianStuart

heypresto said:


> Good to see that you don't have a singular environ as well.


I used to have a pair of environs but now I can't travel between them


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## Rover_KE

heypresto said:


> Is it a Lancashire thing?


Not in my corner of the county.


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## zaffy

And these two work, don't they?

_I need to buy a good pair of scissors.
I need to buy good scissors._


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## Keith Bradford

As for the adjectival use: _scissor kick_ overtook _scissors kick_ fifteen years ago, and now is twice as popular.  _Scissor blade_ beats _scissors blade_ 4:1 in America and 10:1 in Britain.


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## heypresto

zaffy said:


> And these two work, don't they?
> 
> _I need to buy a good pair of scissors.
> I need to buy good scissors._


_I need to buy a good pair of scissors.  
I need to buy good scissors. _This would work if you mean to emphasise that you need to buy _good_, rather than _bad_, scissors whenever you buy scissors.

_I need to buy some good scissors. _


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## zaffy

heypresto said:


> _I need to buy good scissors. _This would work if you mean to emphasise that you need to buy _good_, rather than _bad_, scissors whenever you buy scissors.
> 
> _I need to buy some good scissors. _



English will never stop surprising me. I would have never thought "some" was necessary.


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## DonnyB

zaffy said:


> And these two work, don't they?
> 
> _I need to buy a good pair of scissors.
> I need to buy good scissors._


Not for me, they don't.  I'd say "I need to buy some good scissors".


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## Myridon

The other thing about the second sentence, with or without "some", is that it isn't limited to one pair. You can say that sentence when you intend to buy three pairs of scissors.


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## zaffy

Myridon said:


> The other thing about the second sentence, with or without "some", is that it isn't limited to one pair. You can say that sentence when you intend to buy three pairs of scissors.



So what if meant one pair? I guess I needed to say "I need to buy a good pair of scissors", which hypresto liked, but Donny B didn't. And you?


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## DonnyB

zaffy said:


> So what if meant one pair? I guess I needed to say "I need to buy a good pair of scissors", which hypresto liked, but Donny B didn't. And you?


You _can_ use "a [good] pair" to refer to just one pair, but I generally wouldn't unless I wanted to make it clear I was only talking about just one.


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## zaffy

And how about formal language? If there was a murder, and the murderer used scissors, I guesss the police record would use "a pair of scissors" wouldn't it?

"Supposedly the causalty was killed with a pair of scissors which was lying near the corpse."


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## zaffy

JulianStuart said:


> Don't forget you may encounter "a scissors" in AE.





owlman5 said:


> I keep waiting to hear that one day, Julian, but I'm running out of time. I'm beginning to suspect that this possibility is more theoretical than real.



This Canadian said some plastic packaging is so hard to open that you end up getting a kinfe or *a scissors





 *


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## PaulQ

Weird... You should not copy him.


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## zaffy

Another example with "a scissors".  

To make that sentence correct, do I say "and scissors" or "a pair of scissors"? Or does either work?


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## heypresto

Now I need a popcorn bucket, and some/a pair of scissors . . .


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## zaffy

heypresto said:


> Now I need a popcorn bucket, and some/a pair of scissors . . .



And in that Canadian's example in #55, which sound idiomatic?

You end up getting a kinfe or scissors.
You end up getting a kinfe or some scissors.
You end up getting a kinfe or a pair scissors.


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## elroy

Catching up:

- I would never, ever say "a scissors." 
- I would say "its scissor*s* industry."
- "I need to buy a good pair of scissors" sounds perfectly idiomatic to me.
- Supposedly The casualty *victim* was *allegedly* killed with a pair of scissors*,* which was lying *found* near the corpse." 



zaffy said:


> You end up getting a knife or scissors.
> You end up getting a knife or some scissors.
> You end up getting a knife or a pair of scissors.


All of them are good.


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## Edinburgher

If you were to take a pair of scissors apart, by removing the screw or drilling out the rivet that holds the two halves together,
I suppose you could call each half "a scissor" (singular).


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## elroy

I would call that a scissor blade.


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## zaffy

And what do I say to my wife? There are a few pairs of scissors and say I need one in a given moment. I'm in the living room and the scissors are in a drawer in the kitchen.

Bring me the scissors, please. (I guess she would bring all of them hearing that, right?)
Bring me a pair of scissors, please.
Bring me some scissors, please.


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## elroy

zaffy said:


> Bring me the scissors, please. (I guess she would bring all of them hearing this, right?)


That means either all of them or a specific pair (for example, your favorite pair that she knows you always like to use). 



zaffy said:


> Bring me a pair of scissors, please.
> Bring me some scissors, please.


Both of these work for one pair, but the second is more likely because it’s less wordy.  As a general rule, we don’t say “a pair of” unless we have to.


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## zaffy

And any chance of saying this? How would she understand it?

_Bring me scissors, please._


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## elroy

That sounds bossy.  I would understand it to mean one pair.


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## heypresto

She'd understand it, but she would probably think you were drunk.


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## zaffy

And say I am in some office and I need scissors. Do I again need to say "some"? 

_Excuse me, do you have scissors I can borrow?
Excuse me, do you have some scissors I can borrow?_


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## elroy

_Excuse me, do you have some scissors I can borrow? _


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## zaffy

And if my wife asked me which scissors I wanted her to bring, she would say "Which ones?", wouldn't she?


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## lingobingo

zaffy said:


> And any chance of saying this? How would she understand it?
> 
> _Bring me scissors, please._


That’s not natural. I don’t think we use *scissors* without a determiner except in this sort of context:

How do you make a slit at the top of the pouch before putting it in the microwave?​You could use a knife, but I usually use scissors.​


zaffy said:


> And if my wife asked me which scissors I wanted her to bring, she would say "Which ones?", wouldn't she?


Probably. But it would also make sense to ask which *pair* if you’d just asked for a *pair* of scissors.


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## Roymalika

heypresto said:


> In short, no.


Hi heypresto, this was your answer to zaffy's question "Can I say "two scissors", instead of "two pairs of scissors"?"

Let me put them into sentences.

1) I bought two scissors.
2) I bought two pairs of scissors.

Did you mean sentence 2 should be used instead of sentence 1?


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## heypresto

Roymalika said:


> "Can I say "two scissors", instead of "two pairs of scissors"?"


No. 


Roymalika said:


> Did you mean sentence 2 should be used instead of sentence 1?


Yes.


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## Roymalika

Thanks @heypresto 
If I want to buy only one pair, what one of these would be correct: 

I bought a pair of scissors.
I bought one pair of scissors.
I bought a scissors.
I bought one scissors.


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## heypresto

I bought a pair of scissors.   
I bought one pair of scissors.  But only if you need/want to stress that you only bought one pair and not two or more pairs.

I bought a scissors. 
I bought one scissors. 

I'm sure we've said several times above that we don't say 'a scissors' or 'one scissors.' 

Or 'two/three/four/seventeen/fifty/a hundred scissors.'


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## Roxxxannne

elroy said:


> Catching up:
> 
> - I would never, ever say "a scissors."


Whenever I hear a native speaker of AmE say "a scissors" I always think how weirdly wonderfully diverse this country is linguistically.


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## Edinburgher

Roxxxannne said:


> Whenever I hear a native speaker of AmE say "a scissors" I always think how weirdly wonderfully diverse this country is linguistically.


I don't think I've come across "diverse" before as a euphemism for poorly-educated.   

OK, well, I guess there are a fair number of Americans of German descent, and the German noun for "a pair of scissors" is a singular word.  There may be other languages for which that is the case too, but that's not a good excuse.  Come on, folks, learn the lingo!


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## Roxxxannne

Oh, I didn't mean it as a euphemism for poorly-educated.


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## cidertree

I'm struggling to find something "off" with _a_ scissors in my idiom, and I can't. You'll hear it used in my (well-educated) family - perhaps a Hiberno-English thing


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## zaffy

Edinburgher said:


> I don't think I've come across "diverse" before as a euphemism for poorly-educated.


The Canadian who said "a scisssors" is a teacher in a Canadian high school. So he must be well-educated.


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## elroy

Edinburgher said:


> a euphemism for poorly-educated.


This association, which unfortunately gets made far too often around here, is unjustified. 

More than likely, the reason people say "a scissors" is language economy.  It's more practical since it's a single object, and the plural is just an etymological fluke (as you yourself observe, in many languages, like German, it's singular).  This is an ordinary process of language development, and has nothing to do with speakers' educational levels.  As I said earlier, I personally wouldn't ever say it, and it jars immensely (hence my  emoji), but that doesn't mean that those who do say it are "poorly educated."  Every language change occurs gradually, and it takes time before it becomes universal (if it ever does, that is).  So the fact that it sounds wrong to me doesn't mean that it doesn't sound right to other, equally educated speakers whose idiolect has incorporated this particular change.


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## RM1(SS)

Edinburgher said:


> I suppose you could call each half "a scissor" (singular).


Per Allan Sherman that's "a single sciz".


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## 1133Lodi

Scissors is fine.  If I went to Target I’d say I’m looking for a pair of scissors.  If I misplaced my scissors I’d say that I’d misplaced my only pair of scissors.

But if I’m sitting right here and using them and they slipped away I’d say where are my god damned scissors.


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## heypresto

But I assume you would never say 'a scissors' or 'one scissors.'


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## cidertree

I would*, shamelessly and without an eyebrow being raised.

- "Could you cut that for me?"
- "Sure, do you have a scissors?"
- "Yeah, they're in the drawer over there."

*Not "one scissors", obviously - that sounds ridiculous.


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## sound shift

cidertree said:


> I would, shamelessly and without an eyebrow being raised.


Speak for yourself. I'd raise both eyebrows.


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## Myridon

cidertree said:


> - "Could you cut that for me?"
> - "Sure, do you have a scissors?"


I assume it's because the trouser/pant you were sewing turned out wrong.


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## cidertree




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## Edinburgher

cidertree said:


> - "Sure, do you have a scissors?"
> - "Yeah, they're in the drawer over there."


 Surely after "*a* scissors" the reply would have to be "*it is* in the drawer".


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## cidertree

Yes, that would probably be a better answer.
"They're in the drawer." is ambiguous I suppose. - we wouldn't know if there was one scissors in the drawer, or more.


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## Elle Paris

Roymalika said:


> I went to one of my friend's house. I saw his scissors. They were not sharp.
> I said to him
> Your *scissors/pair of scissors *are dull. Please buy new scissors.
> 
> Which one should I use in this sentence? Scissors or pair of scissors?


When starting up about scissors: I need to buy a pair of scissors.  We have some over there next to the pliers.  This pair is too small, that pair is too big. I need all-purpose scissors.  These are perfect: I want to buy this pair. When you get home: I bought a pair of scissors. They are not too big and not to small. Wait! These are not the scissors I bought! Now I have to go back and find out why yhe wrong pair ended up in my bag.     ~~~~ Long story short : when starting up you can use "a pair of scissors" but afterwards alternate "sissors, these, those, them and pair, making sure "pair" is singular.


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## elroy

cidertree said:


> I would*
> 
> *Not "one scissors", obviously - that sounds ridiculous.


I find this surprising.  I don’t think there’s a countable object for which I would use “a” but not “one.”  I’m especially intrigued by your statement because you go on to use “one scissors”:


cidertree said:


> we wouldn't know if there was *one scissors *in the drawer, or more.





Elle Paris said:


> When starting up about scissors: I need to buy a pair of scissors.





Elle Paris said:


> when starting up you can use "a pair of scissors"


What do you mean by “starting up”?


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## Elle Paris

cidertree said:


> Yes, that would probably be a better answer.
> "They're in the drawer." is ambiguous I suppose. - we wouldn't know if there was one scissors in the drawer, or more.


You don't say "one scissors" you say "a pair of scissors" or some scissors, and if there's more than one pair, you can say "There are several pairs in that drawer." < Topic drift removed. Cagey, moderator >


elroy said:


> I find this surprising.  I don’t think there’s a countable object for which I would use “a” but not “one.”  I’m especially intrigued by your statement because you go on to use “one scissors”:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What do you mean by “starting up”?


I mean beginning the subject of conversation like at the store or when you come home from shopping for example....  I don't use "one scissors"  < Topic drift removed. Cagey, moderator >


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## cidertree

elroy said:


> I find this surprising. I don’t think there’s a countable object for which I would use “a” but not “one.” I’m especially intrigued by your statement because you go on to use “one scissors”:


Context 

"A scissors" to refer to "a pair of scissors", "one scissors" to tell how many (pairs of) scissors. 

We do know that "a pair of scissors" exists, but tend to use "a scissors". Switching between plural and singular when referring to them is the obvious result of this. - "They're in the drawer." was a deliberate example.


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## elroy

cidertree said:


> "A scissors" to refer to "a pair of scissors", "one scissors" to tell how many (pairs of) scissors.


Yes, of course.  They’re not interchangeable.

Thank you for clarifying.

< Response to deleted comment removed. Cagey, moderator >


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## cidertree

Elle Paris said:


> You don't say "one scissors" you say "a pair of scissors" or some scissors, and if there's more than one pair, you can say "There are several pairs in that drawer." < --- >


"One scissors" was, I admit, a little jocular - but *not* incorrect in my dialect. < Response to deleted comment removed. Cagey, moderator >


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## Elle Paris

Keith Bradford said:


> As for the adjectival use: _scissor kick_ overtook _scissors kick_ fifteen years ago, and now is twice as popular.  _Scissor blade_ beats _scissors blade_ 4:1 in America and 10:1 in Britain


A pair of scissors has always had two scissor blades. A pair of pants has pant cuffs.  Adjectives are singular in English even when using a noun as an an adjective like: My car has four doors; it is a four door car.


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## Elle Paris

DonnyB said:


> Not for me, they don't.  I'd say "I need to buy some good scissors".


That's fine.


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## Elle Paris

heypresto said:


> _A good pair of scissors.
> A pair of good scissors. _This is probably correct, but it sounds odd.


That's odd; it doesn't sound odd to me 🙃


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## Elle Paris

JulianStuart said:


> Both in California and upstate New York.


:-O Northern or southern california?


Elle Paris said:


> :-O Northern or southern california?


I have never heard that in southern California. I was born and raised here and have met and spoken with many more people than most.


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## Elle Paris

JulianStuart said:


> Don't forget you may encounter "a scissors" in AE.


I might say "some" but not "a". However I'd say "There's a sharp pair in the drawer." since we are already talking about scissors/


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## b1947420

Roymalika said:


> I went to one of my friend's house. I saw his scissors. They were not sharp.
> I said to him
> Your *scissors/pair of scissors *are dull. Please buy new scissors.
> 
> Which one should I use in this sentence? Scissors or pair of scissors?


I agree with just saying "scissors"

The term "set or pairs of scissors" could occur if in a discount store setting (for example) where there is a "set" of two or more pairs of different sizes on offer as a "set".


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## FERNANDO ARTURO GUZMAN

Roymalika said:


> I went to one of my friend's house. I saw his scissors. They were not sharp.
> I said to him
> Your *scissors/pair of scissors *are dull. Please buy new scissors.
> 
> Which one should I use in this sentence? Scissors or pair of scissors?


In Modern English, scissors has no singular form.  Scissors is an example of a plurale tantum, or an English word that only has a plural form that represents a singular object.


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## cidertree

FERNANDO ARTURO GUZMAN said:


> In Modern English, scissors has no singular form.


Yes, it does - in at least one dialect - but not in the major ones.


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## Elle Paris

FERNANDO ARTURO GUZMAN said:


> In Modern English, scissors has no singular form.  Scissors is an example of a plurale tantum, or an English word that only has a plural form that represents a singular object.


I need that big pair of scissors over there. They are the only scissors in the house sharp enough for this job.


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## JulianStuart

Elle Paris said:


> I need that big pair of scissors over there. They are   the only scissors in the house sharp enough for this job.


Those are both plural and correct.
It is the only scissors in the house ... (that is the rare variant. Most of the people I know who use a singular form use a scissor)


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## cidertree

Sigh..


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