Pair of grips

[leethegasman]

I have never been asked this before but my latest apprentice asked me a question I did not no the answer to.
I asked him for a pair of grips (meaning one set I would think like most of us a pair of grips is one set)
He wanted to give me two sets.
So why do we refer to it as a pair of grips
I have a few theories that I have told him but also said I'm not sure and new a group of people that stay up all night talking about important things such as this.

 

[Ermintrude]

Nice! Each side of the plier has a gripped face hence a pair of grips. Plus it's the use of English

 

[rpm]

Pair of grips
Pair of pliars etc etc

Coz there`s 2 handles?

 

[REDSAW]

Pair of grips
Pair of pliars etc etc

Coz there`s 2 handles?

???????????
pair of candles?lol

 

[Ermintrude]

Four candles?

 

[rpm]

???????????
pair of candles?lol

A right pair. lol

 

[Dotty]

Four candles?

Normally I can't stand Ronnie Corbett, mainly because of our history, but this sketch does make oi larffff....

[video=youtube_share;oaGpaj2nHIo]http://youtu.be/oaGpaj2nHIo[/video]

 

[heliotrope]

Four candles?

I thought it was fork andles the man wanted:smartass:

Humpf.

Croppie was faster than me:32:

 

[rpm]

Normally I can't stand Ronnie Corbett, mainly because of our history, but this sketch does make oi larffff....

[video=youtube_share;oaGpaj2nHIo]http://youtu.be/oaGpaj2nHIo[/video]

The delivery is so deadpan it`s genuis.

 

[gasmanrob]

To do with the way language and use of words change/ are applied for example

originally it would have been could you pass me a set of grips? Word association with set is pair hence a move to "a pair of grips"

other words/sentences that have changed or likely to be lost to our language are May I? Might I? You must!

and that most people have developed a tendency to talk using progressive verbs whilst not using the same approach when writing.

there was a thing on radio 4 regarding it on Tuesday afternoon