BatchFile Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I just had a conversation with an English teacher that was bordering on the surreal.... and I thought I'd share it with you. He insists that the plural of mouse, as in computer mouse, is mouses rather than mice. Apparently, the plural of (live) mouse is only mice because it is an old English word. As mouse (computer) is a new word it should follow the new, regular, pluralisation and therefore be mouses. Apparently the fact that mouses are named after mice because they look like them (and have tails and a red eye underneath) is irrelevant:bowl: Oh, and the plural of shoe is shoon apparently, too:eek: I've been speaking this language for 30 years and these were new on me!
K.C.Leblanc Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 (edited) He sounds like a great laugh Edited July 7, 2009 by K.C.Leblanc
Dos_Box Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I he a property developer? Does he own several hoose?
mossj Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 (edited) haha and mouse is a acorynm for Manually Operated User Selection Equipment don't know what the ye old 'rats' where short for. Edited July 7, 2009 by mossj
localzuk Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I thought it was mouses too to be honest... But shoon???
mossj Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 He's a she? No she is a he He insists that the plural of mouse, as in computer mouse, is mouses rather than mice.
tech_guy Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Is there a Moose loose in the hoose? Or should that be Mooses or Moosi if there is more than one? 2
OverWorked Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 The teech is right, in computer jargon, the plural of mouse is mouses. I can't find a reference just now, though. Just like in engineering, the plural of antenna is antennas, but in biology it's antennae. Engineers are using English, but Biologists are using Latin.
jcollings Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I've heard mouses before as the plural. Good old wiki seems to think either will do http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_(computing)
enjay Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Ask him the past tense of the verb "to highlight" as well; I have found that English staff tend to say "highlit" while everyone else opts for "highlighted"...
localzuk Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Ask him the past tense of the verb "to highlight" as well; I have found that English staff tend to say "highlit" while everyone else opts for "highlighted"... Odd - highlit - Wiktionary
powdarrmonkey Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Whatever gender, they have far too much time on their hands if they can be worrying about what pluralisation the IT dept use for pointing instruments...
Domino Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Mouses is correct - I've been using it for years, and have gotten used to the odd looks :-p
webman Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I've always been of the opinion that the plural for more than one ambulance should be "ambuli".
contink Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Ah whatever the books say the plural of "mice" has been lexicalised for ages... Give it time, it'll be changed in the rules as they get yet more cuss and txt spik words in the English system..
sparkeh Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Ah whatever the books say the plural of "mice" has been lexicalised for ages... Give it time, it'll be changed in the rules as they get yet more cuss and txt spik words in the English system.. Oh don't get me wrong, although I quoted the dictionary saying it should be mouses, I say mice as mouses just sounds plain stupid.
Edu-IT Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I've always been of the opinion that the plural for more than one ambulance should be "ambuli". You're as bad as 'them'.
mac_shinobi Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Even if I am wrong I still use mice not mouses when in plural form
sparkeh Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Ohh! I should mention virii then! Heh. Yeah...I do an odd one with that, I always always say "Viruses..oh er..I mean virii"
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