literally: “spending pants” / meaning: something you are figuratively wearing when you are in a generous mood
Are Germans a generous people? They seem to be, but it depends largely on where exactly they come from. A survey of the “Dreamlines” cruise portal investigated the tipping habits of guests from different regions in 2018.
The German participants showed themselves to be more spendy than their fellow passengers from countries such as France, Russia or Holland—only surpassed by Italy. However, the difference between the Bundesländer was huge. According to the study, people from Bremen are willing to tip twice as much as people from Saxony—and also, Hamburgers tend to open their pockets widely. So if you’re looking for people who wear Spendierhosen, you’re most likely to find them in the north of the Federal Republic.
The expression became known through students’ language and has been in use throughout Germany as early as the 17th century. It is born of a joking idea that generosity is not a matter of character, but of the pants you are wearing and the tailor who created them. So maybe, Saxons simply need to change their clothing store.
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