Jeans pocket - the square-ish one on the right

[phitsc]

Most of my jeans have this square-ish pocket, inside the round-ish one which you use to put your keys, money, hands. They all seem to have it inside the right outer pocket. I don't think I've ever used that little pocket. What's it for?

[nudone]

I was told it was for Condoms. Seems a bit specialised to me.

[awaymouser]

coins?

[40hz]

Your pocket watch.

It's supposed to help keep it from getting scratched and dinged up by your small change. 

[tomos]

good question,
wikipedia doesnt have the answer *
I had an idea it was originally for pocket watches - but I think it too small for that

* look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Jeans#smaller_pocket
might have been originally for watches. Quote from a levis add:

Levi's ran an ad where a man uses the pocket to keep condoms ending with. "The watch pocket, invented in 1873, misused ever since."

not the best way to care for a condom

[Daleus]

I always assumed it was a pocket watch, um, pocket.

I don't use a watch, but I am a smoker, and so, this pocket has plenty of use for me.

I can carry a lighter or matches in there.  I also use it to dispose of extinguished butts, until I can find a garbage can.  I've never been one to toss a butt onto the ground.  Rather, I squeeze the "heater off onto the grass, stamp it out, and then the resulting paper/filter gets rolled up and stored in that little pocket until I can find a garbage can.

When I'm working outside on a small project, that doesn't require my overalls, it's a great pocket to store loose nuts and bolts, screws, other fasteners, or snips of wire that should find the way to the garbage rather than just being tossed on the ground.

I despise littering and those who do it, so I guess for me, it's a great temp garbage keeper.

A lot of jeans makers do make that pocket too small for anything.  Mark's Work Wearhouse jeans give a very generous sized watch pocket, so there is no leap to imagine a pocket watch going in there.  Keep in mind too that this wouldn't be yer fancy pocket watch for a fancy man.  *Real* men had their watch on a chain, and it was always tucked into their *vest* pocket.  Vests being for a gentleman, and jeans with a watch pocket being for the blue collar scum like me. And possibly you

YMMV

[Curt]

I was brought up to call it the key pocket. As a child I only needed one key. I like the poor man's watch pocket definition, but modern pockets are too small for a pocket watch, I think.

[techidave]

Your pocket watch.

It's supposed to help keep it from getting scratched and dinged up by your small change. 

+1

a pocket watch will fit nicely in them or at least they used to.  I used to carry one in there when I was a kid. 

[Darwin]

I've always used it to carry a pocket-watch (for which purpose it works well!). Don't forget, blue jeans were work pants (stop laughing, you Brits!) and were designed/in use long before the wrist-watch came into common use (or indeed, being).

[cranioscopical]

I've always used it to carry a pocket-watch (for which purpose it works well!). Don't forget, blue jeans were work pants (stop laughing, you Brits!) and were designed/in use long before the wrist-watch came into common use (or indeed, being).

Under where?

[tomos]

hmmm, trying to figure out cranioscopical's last comment...

Mark's Work Wearhouse jeans give a very generous sized watch pocket, so there is no leap to imagine a pocket watch going in there.  Keep in mind too that this wouldn't be yer fancy pocket watch for a fancy man.  *Real* men had their watch on a chain, and it was always tucked into their *vest* pocket.  Vests being for a gentleman, and jeans with a watch pocket being for the blue collar scum like me. And possibly you

wondering where the chain went... possibly simply into the larger pocket?
I did read in wikipedia that wrist watches were introduced for women, and were considered poncy for men till after the first world war, at which time they started to realise the convenience.

[phitsc]

Thanks guys! Looks like that pocket of mine will stay unused then. Well, unless I should finally start smoking

[barney]

wondering where the chain went...

Typically, the chain had a belt loop on it ... a working man's watch chain, anyway.  My uncle had a collection of them, although I never saw him with a pocket watch.  Some of the chain loops were fairly ornate.

[40hz]

Thanks guys! Looks like that pocket of mine will stay unused then. Well, unless I should finally start smoking

Maybe not. I keep my little field tech mini-USB flash drives in my "watch" pocket. Lots less dorky than walking around with them dangling from a lanyard.  

It might get uncomfortable when you're sitting, depending on the size of the USB key (minis are best),  but I don't get to sit much when I'm in the field so it's never been an issue for me.

[Curt]

Don't forget, blue jeans were work pants ,,,

Under where?

hmmm, trying to figure out cranioscopical's last comment...

"pants", trousers, ambiguous, also underwear, but if so, under where?

[KynloStephen66515]

Most of my jeans have this square-ish pocket, inside the round-ish one which you use to put your keys, money, hands. They all seem to have it inside the right outer pocket. I don't think I've ever used that little pocket. What's it for?

I use this tiny pocket every now and again, mainly for small bank receipts that i dont want to throw them away.  I fold them up to a small enough size to fit then place them in there.

I only do this because if i find paper in my pocket, i don't generally check before I throw everything in the bin!

[Daleus]

Thanks guys! Looks like that pocket of mine will stay unused then. Well, unless I should finally start smoking

Sweet jesus no!  Do not take up smoking.  I have a lot of regrets in my life, but smoking is right there at the top.

[40hz]

+1 with Daleus.

There's not a day that goes by without me feeling some regret for the thousands of dollars spent; the hundreds of hours wasted; and the years and quality that will be shaved off the back end of my lifetime because I once had the smoking habit.

Been "clean" for over 10 years now, but that still won't ever turn back the clock or undo the damage.  

[Deozaan]

I hate wearing jeans but when I was forced to as a kid I'd use that pocket to keep spare change in so the coins wouldn't fall out of the bigger pocket. Or anything I didn't want to lose. It was a good pocket for chapstick, too.

Basically, anything I didn't want to lose went in that pocket.

[tomos]

Don't forget, blue jeans were work pants ,,,

Under where?

hmmm, trying to figure out cranioscopical's last comment...

"pants", trousers, ambiguous, also underwear, but if so, under where?

thanks Curt
when I think of it, I havent heard the word 'pants' since I was a kid (in Ireland - "that's a nice pair of pants you have on you"- I don't know if it's used much in Britain either any more) so dont know how I managed to miss that

[timns]

For those of us with an atrophied vestigial third arm: what you do is jam the thumb into that little pocket.

This saves the arm waving about wildly and hitting you in the face when running to catch the last bus.

[cranioscopical]

Does nobody here realize that this is the emergency-ration holder for a thinly sliced portion cut from a miniature battenberg cake?

[steeladept]

A who-what from a where-when? 

[Edvard]

Actually, it fits my watch pocket just fine:


@40Hz - Thumb drive pocket is a great idea!
Also, check out this timeline of benefits that happen when you quit (benefits start within 20 minutes!!)
http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Benefits_Time_Table.html

@tomos - The chain of a vest pocket watch usually had a small metal "t-bar" fob on the end similar to a cufflink that would fit in one of the vest button holes.

@cranioscopical - Concerning cake, I know no such thing as an emergency ration. One eats all one has been given or one suffers the consequences.


@steeladept - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battenberg_cake

[steeladept]

Thanks.  I guess I was too lazy to Wiki it