Curiosities of the English language

[Dave Payn]

If the plural of goose is 'geese', why isn't the plural of moose 'meese'

If the plural of mouse is 'mice', why isn't the plural of house 'hice'?

Guess who's bored today......

:roll:

 

[Seedhouse]

Lol! :lol: Good point, but can tell you are bored i'm afraid! :wink: (no offence)

 

[lynchie]

well imagine trevor and simon are pretty bored this morning... they haven't worked in ages! Why do you ask?

 

[Dave Payn]

Trevor and Simon should never have worked in the first place! Nor should the Chuckle Brothers, The Krankies, Peters and Lee....... rant, rant, rant. Yup, it's Monday and it's dull, wet and miserable (just like me!)

 

[PeterBale]

If the plural of "hippopotamus" is "hippopotami", what's the plural of "wotaclotamus" :?:

 

[Dave Payn]

If the plural of "hippopotamus" is "hippopotami", what's the plural of "wotaclotamus" :?:

Ho ho! :lol:

 

[lynchie]

If the plural of "hippopotamus" is "hippopotami", what's the plural of "wotaclotamus" :?:

Ho ho! :lol:

That's not the plural! Come on now... be sensible! Answer the nice man!

 

[Dave Payn]

If the plural of "hippopotamus" is "hippopotami", what's the plural of "wotaclotamus" :?:

Ho ho! :lol:

That's not the plural! Come on now... be sensible! Answer the nice man!

Is 'nice' a plural of 'nouse'?

 

[dyl]

That's not the plural! Come on now... be sensible! Answer the nice man!

This is the exception to the rule - it's wotaclotamuses!

 

[The Cornet King]

If the plural of goose is 'geese'

Yeh so why is the plural of Mongoose...'Mongooses' and not mongeese???

:wink:

 

[Dave Payn]

If the plural of goose is 'geese'

Yeh so why is the plural of Mongoose...'Mongooses' and not mongeese???

:wink:

We could also adopt a mixture of French and English (Franglais?) And say the plural should be 'Mesgeese'

 

[Straightmute]

...and is anyone else deeply troubled by this one: what is the singular form of scampi???

D

 

[Dave Payn]

...and is anyone else deeply troubled by this one: what is the singular form of scampi???

D

I dunno, 'scampus'? 'scampum'? 'scamp'??? :wink:

 

[The Cornet King]

...and is anyone else deeply troubled by this one: what is the singular form of scampi???
D

I thought Scampi WAS the singular?
Think its one of those words like 'Sheep'.. :?

:wink:

 

[dyl]

Shrimp? 8)

 

[Straightmute]

...and is anyone else deeply troubled by this one: what is the singular form of scampi???
D

I thought Scampi WAS the singular?
Think its one of those words like 'Sheep'.. :?

:wink:

No no no! My cunning linguist colleagues tell me that it should be scampo (sorry Dave P - the one you missed!) but I've yet to be convinced.

Just wait till you take your son to a restaurant and hear yourself saying 'no, you can't have any ice cream unless you eat every single scampo'. (He never got the ice cream).

D

 

[The Cornet King]

No no no! My cunning linguist colleagues tell me that it should be scampo (sorry Dave P - the one you missed!) but I've yet to be convinced.


D

Hmmm...well my very large Oxford dictionary which i use here at Uni says that Scampi is mostly used in the Singular... :? :?

I think this one needs clarifying...any English professors here amongst us?
And people say bandsmen are sad! :lol: :wink:

 

[Dave Payn]

I think straightmute might just be 'avin' a larf, Chris! In any case, his cunning linguist would appear to have the problem licked.

 

[The Cornet King]

:lol:

thought it was a bit fishy... :wink:
Your all little Scamps! or should that be scampo's?? :lol: :lol:

 

[Straightmute]

Hmmm...well my very large Oxford dictionary which i use here at Uni says that Scampi is mostly used in the Singular... :? :?

I think this one needs clarifying...any English professors here amongst us?

I do hope not! And I certainly don't trust anything that comes out of Oxbridge!

To be honest I'd never thought of looking it up! My faithful Longmans dictionary backs me up, which is nice. 'Scampi, a large prawn often prepared with a batter coating. It, pl of scampo, a European lobster'.

Crikey.

D