Charm the pants off meaning in English
Learn how to use Charm the pants off correctly with Gymglish.
Test and improve your English. Start your free trial today.
TEST YOUR ENGLISH
Free trial and no commitment to buy
4,7 on App Store, Play Store and Trustpilot
More than 8 million learners worldwide
Definition
He charmed the pants off me!: He really seduced, captivated, attracted me!
That book bored the pants off me!: I found that book extremely tedious, dull!
Examples
- "TripleD (Donna Donovan) says : And a smile that could charm the pants off a donkey!"
Exercise 1
There are several idioms and interesting expressions used in this chat.
Match each one with the best definition from among the list.
He's gorgeous! --> He's !
He could charm the pants off a donkey ---> .
He's a catch! --> .
Match each one with the best definition from among the list.
He's gorgeous! --> He's !
He could charm the pants off a donkey ---> .
He's a catch! --> .
There are several idioms and interesting expressions used in this chat.
Match each one with the best definition from among the list.
He's gorgeous! --> He's beautiful 1!
He could charm the pants off a donkey ---> He's got a very attractive personality 2.
He's a catch! --> He'd make a good boyfriend or husband 3.
Match each one with the best definition from among the list.
He's gorgeous! --> He's beautiful 1!
He could charm the pants off a donkey ---> He's got a very attractive personality 2.
He's a catch! --> He'd make a good boyfriend or husband 3.
1 beautiful: The adjective 'gorgeous' generally indicates the beauty of an object or person. Someone who is 'beautiful' is very attractive, or has a perfect appearance. In this chat, Donna writes that Brian Jones is 'gorgeous'. Note that attractive men can also be called 'handsome'.
1 smart: The adjective 'gorgeous' doesn't describe intelligence, but beauty; the only thing that matters. That's a joke. One day I'm sure I'll meet a woman who doesn't care about my Quasimodo-like looks and appreciates my wit and charm.
1 polite: The adjective 'gorgeous' doesn't describe a 'polite' or 'well-mannered' person.
1 tall: The adjective 'gorgeous' doesn't describe a 'tall' or 'physically big' person.
2 He's got a very attractive personality: The expression '(to charm) the pants off (somebody)' is used to intensify such verbs as 'charm', 'bore', 'scare', 'talk', etcetera. When Donna writes that Brian could 'charm the pants off a donkey', she means that Brian is SO charming, and has SUCH an attractive personality, that he would be able to seduce even a donkey. Note that this expression is not exclusively used with 'a donkey', it is just an example which demonstrates just how powerful Brian's charms are. Other examples: 'That lecture bored the pants off me', 'That film scared the pants off me'. 'Pants' are 'trousers' in the US, and 'underwear' in the UK.
2 He'd look good without pants on: This idiom doesn't express that Brian is physically attractive, but rather that he is very charming.
2 He physically resembles a donkey: This idiom doesn't express that Brian resembles a donkey, but rather that he is very charming.
2 He's as handsome as a horse: This idiom doesn't express that Brian is physically attractive, but rather that he is very charming. 'Handsome' is a term which describes great beauty, used mainly for men (and occasionally animals).
3 He'd make a good boyfriend or husband: The expression 'he's a catch' indicates that a man would make a good boyfriend or husband. The expression uses a fishing analogy, comparing a man or woman to a fish which can be caught by a person. When Susie writes that Brian is 'a catch', she means that he would make a good boyfriend or husband, or that any woman who 'catches' him would be lucky!
3 He must be dating somebody already: The expression used by Susie doesn't indicate that she believes that Brian is already in a relationship.
3 I'd like to see him wrestling naked: The expression used by Susie doesn't indicate that she wants to see Brian 'wrestling' in the nude, although she might like this anyway.
3 He's probably gay: The expression used by Susie doesn't indicate that she believes that Brian is gay.
3 He must be good at sports: The expression used by Susie doesn't indicate that she believes Brian is good at athletics.
Still unsure of the best way to use 'Charm the pants off'? Improve your English thanks to our online English lessons. We offer a free test as well as a free level assessment!
What our users say:
Test your English with Gymglish today and get a free level assessment
Absolutely free - no strings attached.
