Ah, betrayed by the big, lumpy pants -- the ones tied shut at the ankles.

A man and woman from St. Paul were being held in Washington County Jail Thursday after being caught stuffing neither stockings nor a Christmas turkey, but rather their oversized pants with merchandise from the Kohl's store in the Woodbury Village shopping center, police said.

The pair, who gave separate St. Paul addresses, were arrested on shoplifting charges, which are misdemeanors. But their use of oversized pants, tied shut at the ankles and tied over their shoulders with shoestrings that acted as suspenders, constitutes a use of equipment to shoplift, which is a felony.

Neither had been charged as of Thursday afternoon.

The man, age 48, also was wanted on a warrant from Dakota County on another misdemeanor theft charge. He has an extensive record of drug and theft convictions.

Shortly after 9 p.m., Wood-bury police were summoned to the store by a security worker, the arrest report says. The woman, age 46, was seen picking out clothing items and handing them to the man, who stuffed them in his jacket and pants, and left without paying, the report says.

The woman has a history of drug convictions.

When police arrived, it was discovered the "male has stuffed sweatshirts and [a] white sweater in his pants," the report says.

Numerous other items were found in a car used by the pair, and it was determined they also had been stolen from the Kohl's store.

JIM ANDERSON