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What does "pantsuit joke" mean?

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Zizoo  #414357  Wed, 05 Sep 07 05:09 AM

in the title of following news:

Hillary Clinton Threatens Letterman Over Pantsuit Jokes

 

Hillary Clinton made her seventh stop on the The David Letterman Show last night. She has been a guest on the show since 1994 when she first appeared as the first lady. Last night they talked about life on the campaign trail. Clinton also mentioned that Bill Clinton would run again if he could. “Well, you know, let me say that if the constitution had not been amended to make it two terms, he might be running,” she said. Letterman then asked if they considered having him as V.P. Clinton said you can’t. “Believe me he looked into that,” she said. They also talked about her possibly being the first female U.S. President. “I think it’s not so much that people don’t think a woman can do the job, it’s just that we’ve never done it before,” Clinton said. “I’m not running because I’m a woman, I’m running because I think I’m the best qualified and experienced person who can do the job. But I know that it’s a big deal that I might be the first woman president.” Clinton also read a tongue-in-cheek top ten list of her campaign promises.

  
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Grammar Geek  #414362  Wed, 05 Sep 07 05:18 AM

This isn't vocabulary, it's just culture.

Hilary Clinton, when she makes public appearances, is generally not seen in  jeans, nor regular pants, nor does she seem to appear in dresses or skirts. She doesn't wear suits with skirts. She wears suits with pants. This is called a pantsuit. She is so well known for wearing them that David Letterman, a comedian with a late-night talk show, has frequently made jokes about them.

Obviously the threat is not a real threat and there is no ill-will between them or she would not be making her seventh appearance on his show.

  
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CalifJim  #414401  Wed, 05 Sep 07 07:50 AM
GG has already explained it.

A 'pantsuit joke' is any of a great number of jokes that comedian David Letterman has made in the past several years calling attention to the fact that Mrs. Clinton's favorite attire is a pantsuit.

I wish I could remember some of them to repeat here for you.  A few of them have been very clever, and none, that I know of, are truly offensive, so the use of the word 'threaten' in that headline is also meant to be humorous.

CJ

  
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Zizoo  #414449  Wed, 05 Sep 07 11:12 AM
Thank you a lot! I got it.
  
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