in them days, he flew pantsless

Yes. Things were different back then, people were more amazed by
his sky flight than anything else and didn't mention, except behind half
closed doors, his unpantular appearance.
"Maybe where he's from they don't HAVE pants"
"I heard he's from Manchester, they call them trousers over there"
"Well he can't be from there then can he, if they have a name for them,
whether it be 'pants' or 'trousers', he'd still know of them wouldn't he."
"Oh."
"No, he must be from somewhere else. Perhaps South Shields."
- they would say.