How do you call this?

Two pairs of scissors

*What* do you call this?

OP: In many languages the word that is used to ask the name of a thing translates to "how" in English. But in English we don't use "how" with "call," we use "what": French: Comment appelle-t-on cette chose? Italian: Come si chiama questa cosa? German: Wie nennt man dieses Ding? Spanish: ¿Cómo se llama esta cosa? Russian: Как называется? Dutch: Hoe noem je dat? But English: What do you call this thing? However, we use "how" with "say": How do you say the name of this thing?

A pair of pairs of scissors. hahaha

A lesbian couple

Two pairs of scissors. Also, unlike many other languages, the most common way to phrase your question in English would be “**what** do you call this?”

The same as glasses, trousers, or pants.

Shear chaos

To confuse you further, "pair" has two plural forms. Most people nowadays would say two pairs of scissors, but two pair of scissors is also ok.

(Preface: I’m from the Midwest USA.) This is a fun one. I would normally say, “two pair of scissors”, where “pair” is singular. I think this comes from playing cards, where I’m accustomed to hearing “two pair” as a poker hand, for example. Yet, if I were to ask someone, “how many pairs of pants do you need?”, I would use “pairs” plural as stated. Curious to read if others have similar experiences.

1. Two pairs. 2. I usually just call one a "scissors" (because if it's a "pair", what's one?), and the other is two.

two pairs of scissors

Those my friend, are lesbians Jokes aside, you would just say two pairs of scissors, but the image you posted probably aimed towards the other meaning.

Lesbians looking at each other from a distance

A set?

Lesbianism /s

two pairs of scissors

Lesbians <3

Two pair... dumb question..

2 pairs of scissors 

pairs of scissors

Two pairs of scissors

A murder of scissors

Two lesbians on a date.

2 pairs of scissors

Two of a kind

Some scissors

A quartet of scissors

Other people have already said versions of this, but I just want to say: -"What do you call this?" Is used when asking about the name of (or word for) an object. -"How do you say this?" Is used when asking for the pronunciation of a word. Not as common except for people learning a new language or a native speaker learning a new difficult word in their own language (many such cases in English).

A couple of scissors.

A half of a pair of scissors

Scissor Sisters

Two pairs of scissors.

A brace of scissors.

Couple of scissors 😭

2 sets

Pair of Scissors^2

Quad of scissors

2 pairs

A couple of pairs of scissors

A pair of pairs

A pair of a pair of scissors

A pair of pair of scissors

Two pairs of scissors

A pair of pairs of scissorses

The amount of hidden comments on this thread is crazy 😭

A quartet of scissors

I've got some bad news

a pair of a pair of scissors of course

A pair of a pair of scissors

scissoring

A pair of a pair of scissors, obviously

lesbians

two pair, read 'em and weep

I donno, let’s ask more than one solitary reapers

Two pairs of scissors.

I’m more likely to say “Can I have two scissors?” I suppose someone being pedantic might then hand me one pair, but I think most would give me two.

Pair of a pair of scissors. I've seen someone call it "a duel" once

Two pairs of scissors.

Two pair of scissors.

Scissorss

...2 pairs? What's the difficult part about this?

why is everything deleted?

2 pairs of scissors

Two pairs of scissors. Same with pants, shorts, anything where the counter is pairs

Actually: sewing shears

four scissors

A pair of scissors and a copy of that pair of scissors, made just the same size, color, weight, but by another smith.

By moving my tongue and creating specific vibrations in the airwaves. Same way that I call most things.

A scissor is a single blade. There are two scissors in a pair of scissors. ✂️

These kinds of scissors are generally called shears. Scissors are made up of a snick and a snee with a screw to hold them together.

Junk.

Two pairs of scissors. Also applies to glasses. And pairs of socks and shoes.

Two scissors. It's an extreme case of the phenomenon where "a pair" doesn't always mean exactly two of something.

Scissorings

Pairs of scissor?

Scissor blade?

a quartet

A pair of a pair of scissors

Two pairs of shears. The same way there would be two pairs of shoes. Just consider yourself lucky that you have not lost one yet. Shears often find a way to get lost.

There's also the question if where language stops and culture starts. If you are from a country that views this tool as oke object I think it's ok to just call it a scissor, or a trouser with two trouser leg, or a lung - with two lung wings.

😆

a pair of pair of scissors

English is hard and bizarre.

A quad of cutters

A pair of scissor pairs

Why would I call scissors? They can’t hear me. Dumb joke, but my point is that your question is worded incorrectly. In English, “How do you call” is about the method of speaking, not about the words you use. If I ask someone, “how do you call your grandmother?” the answer I’m expecting is “on FaceTime,” not “Granny.” The question you want an answer to is, “WHAT do you call these?”

2 pairs

Those are [shears, not scissors.](https://www.bondproducts.com/whats-the-difference-between-scissors-and-shears/)

Pair²

Quadruplets

Couple pair of scissors

Lesbians? lol I really don’t knows Scissorss An emo party?( multiple cutters) lol Oh I’m going to hell AGAIN for these, lol

Two pairs of scissors. Yeah, "scissors" is one of those plurale tantum words so for situations like these you usually say something like the above. Interesting in Polish, the word for "door" is always plural: "drzwi".

Lesbians

Pair^2 of scissors

If this ✂️ is a pair then is this ✂️✂️ a foursome?

This is I guess an okay joke, but TBH, most of these replies miss the point. Cant speak for other dialects, but "pair" isn't really used as a replacement for "two". Nobody orders "a pair of eggs". Nobody ever asks for "a pair of cups". You usually use it for specific items that almost always come together in sets of two like "a pair of shoes" or as a measure word for certain nouns like "a pair of pants". If you were hard pressed, grammatically you could say "a pair of pairs of scissors". But this makes no sense as pairs of scissors don't typically come in sets of two.

Two pairs of scissors.

A pair of pairs of scissors

A couple of scissors

A pair of a pair of scissors

Scissi

Four scissors. Next question.

The correct answer is “a couple of scissors”

4 scissors.

1. This is “Two pairs of sissors.” Sissors is a wierd word because it’s already implied to be plural, expecially since we call them “pairs” even when there is only one pair of sissors. 2. In English, you ask “how” if you are asking for something’s feelings or progress on something, as in “How are you doing,” or “How do you like your new pair of sissors.” We use “What” to ask about object identity or general questions that have a straight answer; “What do you call this,” or “What is your favorite color.” Its a bit confusing because I know other languages use their versions of “How” but English is a fickle language that even baffles native speakers sometimes with how stupid its rules can be, so.

Pair of pairs of scissors

When one thing is called a pair, it's because there are 2 of something but need to be used together. Scissors are a pair, because they are made of 2 blades. Pants are a pair because underpants used to be 2 separate legs pieces (crotchless). A pair of glasses because there are 2 lenses. The way to mention multiple pairs, like with these scissors, is to say "there are 2 pairs of scissors"

A murder of scissors...

Sisters

I am unusual in that I call it two *pair* of scissors; two *pairs* of scissors is more common. There are three general categories of "always-pairs" things I can think of – tools that consist of two pieces that move against each other, like tongs, scissors, and shears; lower-body two-leg clothing, like trousers, shorts, slacks, jeans, and pants; and things that go over both eyes like glasses, binoculars, and goggles.

"what do you call this" is correct. "how do you call this" is wrong. With the amount of people that make this mistake, I reckon there should be a disclaimer for it when you join the sub

A quartet of scissors.

A couple'a pairs of scissors

i just call the first one scissors and the second one a pair😭😭i only speak english but pretty sure mines not grammatically correct

Pairs of scissors

Foursome of scissors.

coupla' pairs

A couple of pairs of scissors

On the right? 2 paires de ciseaux

With speaking

A pair^2 of scissors

A stabbing of scissors.

Is it normal grammatically to ask “how do you call this?” To me, (us english) it sounds wrong. It should be “what do you call this”

I would say pairs of scissors

Attorneys General

Two pairs of scissors

Two pairs of scissors.

Never understood that

I never call it a "pair of scissors," but I think I *used* to, which means I inherited it from my Midwestern parents. Now I just say "where's the scissors?"

two pairs of scissors. also we would say “what do you call this”, not how.

Scissors ? Right

A pair of a pair of scissors

2 pairs of scissors.

Scissors is “a pair of scissors”? I just called them scissors and two scissors “a pair of scissors” 😭

"How do you call this?" Answer: I wouldn't call it at all, because it doesn't have a phone and can't talk... Because it's a pair of scissors and two pairs of scissors. In English "how" is used to ask "in what way" or "in what manner". So when paired with "call" it would be like asking for an adverb or a method to describe the manner with which you "call" this thing. It doesn't make sense here. But if you said "How do you call your Grandmother?" It would be asking what you use to call her, not what name or title you use to address her. So the answer might be "I use the phone" or "I video chat with her via Facebook." Or something like that. But if you wanted to know the name for something, or what title is used for them you'd ask "What do you call _____". As in "What word/name do you call ____?"

It's weird that people will stumble over this, but then have no issues with two pairs of pants.

The plural of scissors is "Lebanese"

2 pairs of scissors

Two pairs of scissors lol

4 scissors

Two pairs of scissors or A pair of pairs of scissors But the second one sounds very clunky and I would never say it that way. Your question should be "What do you call this?" by the way.

A pair of pair of scissors Don't understand what the big deal is.

Believe it or not...

Two pairs of scissors.

*WHAT do you call this

Four of a Kind

The fun begins when you break a pair of scissors and ask yourself how to call a single blade

1 is called 'scissors' 2 of them are called 'a pair of scissors'

Lesbians

foursome

A scissor is one side of the scissors

a couple of pairs of scissors

the plural of scissors is sizzorezes

Hi guys, what’s better way to learn English? I’m a1 a2

A group of scissors.

A pair of pairs of scissors

Shears are bigger sharper scissors

Lesbians

A couple of scissors?

A set of scissors

Four of a scissor. (Jk - “two pairs of scissors” would be correct)

*what* do you call this. If you asked what you’ve written I would say “with a cell phone” That aside, those are scissors. A pair of scissors and then two pairs of scissors.

I have officially looked at the word “scissors” too many times and it no longer feels real.

Just like you’d say two pairs of pants.

Scissors²

A couple of pairs of scissors. Or two pairs of scissors. Or a pair of pairs of scissors if I'm trying to be funny.

This isn’t complicated. Scissors are two scissor blades connected. Back before they connected them, it was called a scissor blade, used specifically by tailors and seamstresses. When someone had the bright idea to connected them to make cutting easier, they were simply called a pair of scissors. Just like how pants used two be two articles of clothing. You’d slide each one onto your leg, then use a shoestring-like thing (or a strip of leather) to tie them to the garment that went around your waist — like hoserie. Later, when someone had the bright idea to design pants with both legs permanently attached to the crotch/butt/hip part, it was called a PAIR of pants. So if you had two, it would be TWO pairs of pants.

A couple pair of scissors.

That’s 2 pairs of scissors ✌🏽

I usually shout, "Sciss! Scisss! Scissssssssssssooooooooooorrrrrrrrrreeeennnnnoooooo!" To date, scissors have never come running. I think they must be deaf. But that's how I call them.

Scissors²

A pair of pairs of scissors

Clearly a quadropal scissors, or in better words Google "scissor city"

Two pairs of scissors.

A pair of pairs of scissors

Two scissors. I’m lazy with English sometimes.

Not sure if anyone has explained this, but the reason why in English some seemingly single items are called ‘a pair’ is because historically the pair is not the item as a whole but the item’s components. ‘Scissors’ is not technically referring to the object we hold to cut things but rather the individual blades, that’s why it has the plural ‘s’ on the end and is grammatically followed by ‘are’ instead of ‘is’; there are multiple scissors, namely a ‘pair’ of them. It’s not “scissors is” but “scissors are”. However, in modern English we don’t think of the individual components but the whole object as a single thing, and so even when we say ‘a pair of scissors’ we think of the object on the left as a singular item. It’s the same reason why it’s ‘a pair of pants’. Historically in medieval old English areas, ‘a pant’ was a long clothing item that covered only one leg up to the hip, but did not cover the groin area. You would have two ‘pants’ or a ‘pair’ to cover both legs. Over time they evolved to become a single garment but English still referred to them as ‘a pair of pants’. So even when referring to two single items called ‘scissors’ we say ‘two pairs of scissors’. The same way we say ‘two pairs of pants’.

Lesbians

The answer lies in the knowledge of adverbs of quantity. How many pairs of scissors do you see? 2. So Two pairs of scissors. 

a pair of pairs of scissors or two of em, take your pick. its.. this one wasn't funny or that's weird

It’s an incredibly common mistake even among super high level foreign speakers. I work with a lot of near native level people working in finance at a high level who have almost flawless English but still make this mistake. Particularly German speakers.

Is Larry David one of those people who actually says "a scissor" or is he just trolling every time? 😂

It’s a pair of a pair of scissors

a pair of pairs of scissors

a pair of a pair of scissors

A pair of pair of scissors

Simple: in German the sentence for “I need scissors” translates to “I need a scissor”. If you need multiple, then it’s “I need (number) scissors”

Scissors and 2 Scissors? Simple, I think...

Native speaker Australia There are several things in English where we call one item a pair or we pluralise due to it being made up of two similar parts that need to go together: scissors, pants, glasses. You can say the word without the word pair, but should still keep it plural even when it is a singular object. If you are referring to 2 or more of these objects you you usually say the number and pluralise the word pair to pairs, or if it’s multiple but you are being specific you may say something like: “woah look at all these pairs of scissors” Or “Woah look at all these scissors”

Pair of shoes

Scissor sisters

It’s ‘two scissors, but more correct is ‘two pairs of scissors’ . There are two scissors on the table. Choose own and cut the paper. There are two pairs of scissors on the table. Choose one and cut the paper.

Quardruple of scissors

Personally, I would call those shears. They look like they’re for cutting fabric not paper.

I believe we are actually talking about a pair of shears, not a pair of scissors. A pair of shears has one larger finger-hold so you can place more fingers on the lower handle to apply more pressure. And if we take this pair of shears apart physically, them you literally and physically have two shears.

Its a broken pair of scissors

Papair of scissors

quartet of scissors~

Same thing with a pair of jeans

A pair of pair of scissors 

For starters, you would phrase the question: “What do you call these?”, not “How do you call this?”. If you say the latter, people will know immediately that you’re not a native English speaker. To go further, you would always say “WHAT do you call THIS” or “HOW do you SAY this”, as you’re either asking about the name of an object, or asking how to correctly say a word or phrase.

Easy: Pair of pair of scissors

Two pairs of scissors….

Dual weilding

A scissor or seax was a one-bladed knife. Rivet two of them together and you have s scissorS. Same with pantS. It used to be two individual legs. Put them together and they are now plural.

A pair of scissors on which we applied Banach-Tarski

Two pairs of scissors.

a pair of a pair of scissors /s

Two pairs of scissors?

Pairs of scissorss

i hate this goddamn language it's "Two pairs of scissors" Whoever decided to randomly make a select few singular items be referred to as a pair meet me our back

Two pair of scissors 🤷🏻‍♂️

What do you call this? I know I know… every language on earth uses how…. But we don’t. It’s an easy way to sound foreign.

A pair of pairs of scissors

Those are the best kind of sciossrs

Two scissori.

TWO pairs of scissors! because... English weirdisms, just the way we roll :)

"A pair of shears", but that's old-school Barber talk from 3 generations ago.

Some call it, "A set"

Thanks for posting this today. I appreciate it.

A Quatuor

Maybe a controversial take, but I would call it two scissor blades. Two blades come together to make a pair of scissors.

Two scissors or *two* pairs of scissors

A pair of scissors

A couple of pairs of scissors

Pride 2025 🏳️‍🌈

I packed both my corduroy jeans, and my pleated khakis in the luggage: I packed *two pairs* of pants.

Two scissors?

a pear of a pear of scissors

I would just say there are two scissors there. No need to complicate it further. - native speaker of American English

Lesbians.

A pair of pants/trousers. Two pair of pants/trousers. A pair of binoculars. Two pair of binoculars. A pair of headphones. Two pair of headphones. I could go on.

Defusal kit

A pair of two double scissors

Two pairs of scissors

Two pair of scissors

A pair of scissors or 2 scissors

4 of a kind

*What do you call this?

Scissii? A murder of scisssors?

A lesbian couple (very original I know)

A pair of tongs

A couple of pairs of scissors

A pair of a pair of scissors. lol

lesbians

I always called bras, a pair of bras. As in a pair of pants. Both only one item. Everyone I know says they've never heard of a pair of bras.

Four scissors.

A pair of pair of scissorss.

Two pairs of scissors.

2 pairs of scissors.

Scissor foursome

lesbians

A 🍐 of scissors

WHHAAAAT

Two scissors

Pairs of scissors

A pair^2 of scissors

If I pair a pair of scissors with a pair of scissors I get a pair of pairs of scissors. Now imagine if I were to pair a pair of pairs of pairs of scissors.

4 scissors.

Two pairs of scissors Or just 2 scissors, I don't think anyone uses "pair of scissors" to refer to scissors.