to get annoyed by poncey plurals?

[MardyBra]

If a word has been naturalised into English, why do people insist on pluralising it according to the language of its origin (or in other weird archaic ways)?

It seems to happen mostly with the Latin words. Do people do this to show off that they have Latin O-Level or something? What's wrong with forums? Fora sounds weird (something to go with fauna?) but I keep it seeing on MN?

And does it really matter that a panini is really a panino? After all, we're happy to talk about eating a bit of spaghetti rather than a spaghetto.

Oh and surely dice is now an accepted singular, and people who ask a toddler to "pass the die" are surely trying too hard to prove their knowledge?

And breathe.

It's not about being a ponce, it's about being right.

I love the fact that 'octopuses' is right.

My name is PrettyCandles, and I am a pedant.

"I quite like odd plurals, but that's mostly because I did Classics and know why they're odd.

panino ooh teethgritting!

although i did like my brother calling my many Bagpusses , the Bagpii !

It depends how far the words have been assimilated, and how many people know the real ones. Latin is such a lovely language, why wouldn't you use the right words if you know them?

I say panino because I happen to know it, I don't care whether anyone else does.

Well that was an education. I've always said roll the die if there is only one. I thought everyone did. I wonder how many people think I'm being a ponce!

Anyone mentioned foci? Dcs infant school used to send home a list of topics they were going to focus on in the following term and used this word throughout. I used to cringe reading it.

BOF -- alumnae, surely? Or are we all hairy-handed truckers after all?

You could be right- I actually have no idea

alumnae = female
alumni = male (or mixed, at a push, mutter, grumble)

Y'see, that's why it's easier to just say graduates. Then there's no chance of involuntary sexism.

Wincing at foci.

Bof - Just read your link. I am a bit enamoured of David Thorne.

Poncey - if there were more than one of you, would they be PonceyMcPonces, PonceyMcPonci or PonceMcPoncae?

So Poncey chose a poncey plural. I rest my case.

Plural of haggis? Collective noun?

A herd of haggeen?

A gaggle of haggi?

A flock of haggises?

[bgrin]

Can't understand why anyone would want more than one haggis? [bwink]

It's not poncey, it's right

I don't know why anyone would want more than one alopogie, but there must be demand as otherwise why would the plural 'alopogies' exist?

I was also wondering whether the collective noun would vary dependant upon whether said haggis/i/ were to be found on hillside or dish.