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Trousers Lightweight
From ARRSEpedia
Olive green, polycotton, trousers - aka "denims", in a nod to the 1950s when they were actually made of denim. Usually half again their weight at manufacture, due to the enormous amounts of spray starch applied during their lifetime. Typically worn with Boots DMS and Jersey Heavy Wool.
Of course, being polycotton, they dried wonderfully quickly. And melted all over your legs at the first hint of flame. Responsible for all that dark green crap on the bottom of irons (remember people, only medium heat for synthetics) and the resulting boost to the British iron-cleaner industry.
Nothing quite like sitting in the NAAFI looking for a VPL on a pair of nicely fitting Lightweights on some Doris Those were the days...
Interestingly, at one time 'Trousers Lightweight' were used as a coded signal identifying military lesbians. WRAC diesels would savagely iron the outsides of their lightweights, rendering them a very pale green, whilst leaving the inner side untouched. Goodness knows what the symbolism was about; no doubt some learned sociologist could write a paper on it one day. Anyway, it was thus that the humble lightweight became a signature equipment for military lezzer spotters.
