...to get cross every time I see "10 items or less"

[Tech]

It should be "fewer". I once wrote a long message to the CEO of M&S on this very subject, but didn't send it after one of my colleagues told me I was a "very sad individual indeed". Hmm. Still bugs me though.... maybe we should have "pedants corner" in addition to this topic...

So are they Hoofs or hooves? Is there a rule or an exception?

Roofs is a noted exception I believe, although it is pronounced "rooves" and I think "rooves" was used in written form in the past, though is no longer accepted. Some words, including dwarf - dwarfs/ dwarves, and hoof - hoofs/ hooves, can use either plural form.

PMSL when I was in 3rd yr juniors (Year 5 i think it is now) at primary school, I corrected the teacher on that particular exception....

"But Mr Elgar, there is no such word as 'rooves'"

He had to go off to check

We were studying plurals at the time - that is the scary thing......

Hoof, hooves etc...

What about 'Foof' and 'Fooves'?

I thought it was rooves. There was a sainsbury's sign in the shopping precinct saying something like 'Everything you could need under two roofs' and it bugs the Hell out of me because it looks so wrong to me!

zephyrcat - I agree it does look wrong!Surely they could have rephrased it

I've just noticed that one of the items I've just had delivered from Boots is a 'nappy pale'

oooh I@'d LOVE a pedants corner topic

You can sign up over on "Site Stuff" MamaG and have a good chuckle at the mistake I made in the thread title.

Katy, at the end of the day they don't get away with it because people like me, people they write to in business, senior colleagues and others we all note their mistakes and that helps form our view of them. I often have a dilemma of whether to change it's to its when it's wrong. I usually go ahead but I know I risk hurting the feelings of the client in some cases. Interesting pyschological issue. All we can do is ensure our children draw back in horror when they see things that are wrong.

My mother also used to point out "for free" too (it should just "free"). Bad use of prepositions sorts out the sheep from the goats too - "on the weekend" immediately tells you all you want to know about that other person.