Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: Plural issues

What would you usually say, when speaking of several items?
 
Cannon or cannons?
 
Scarfs or scarves?
 
Shark or sharks?
 
Panini or paninis?
 
Spacecraft or spacecrafts?
 
The lion or the lions?
 
"Attorneys general" or "Attorney generals"?
 
"Sons of bitches" or "Sons-of-a-bitch"?
 
"Would you like some cereal for breakfast?" or "Would you like some
cereals for breakfast?"
 
"Find the ATM's near you" or "Find the ATMs near you"?
 
and finally
 
"Children love their mother" or "Children love their mothers"?

 "Sons of bitches" or "Sons-of-a-bitch"?
 
sons of bitches
 
[...]
 
Are you sure you didn't know all this already?
 
-- 
Enrico il Pentolaio.
My blog: 
http://vousavezunaccent.blogspot.com/
 

 Are you sure you didn't know all this already?
 
I think he was either giving us an exam or adding usage notes to his 
dictionary.
 
 

 You can actually use either.
 
Ah. That's not cool. Why did my textbook at school spend so many pages 
on this, if I could have just used the regular plural form?
 
It still doesn't compare to the time when I found out about the correct 
English term for "quaderno". I think I wrote about it a couple of years 
ago. :-D


 ago. :-D
 
My dictionary gives me many English terms for quaderno, depending on the 
type.
 

 Paninis.
 
Tu quoque, fellow Italian! ;)))
 
 
 

 "Children love their mother" or "Children love their mothers"?
 
According to Googlefight, it's a tie!
 
http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Children+love+their+mother&word2=Children+love+their+mothers
 


Gli algoritmi di Google, quando i risultati sono maggiori di qualche 
migliaio, possono facilmente sbarellare di ordini di grandezza...


 ago. :-D
 
Huh? Io l'ho sempre chiamato semplicemente "notebook", esiste qualche 
termine più specifico?


 You can actually use either.
 
I would never use 'scarfs' other than as the verb meaning to gobble down some 
food in a hasty and maybe sloppy manner.
 
He scarfs down every meal, even at fancy restaurants. It's embarrassing.
 
-- 
Joey from New York
Remember: It is To Laugh
 
Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator,
but among those whom I love, I can:
all of them make me laugh.
   -- WH Auden
 


 
Più che fuori moda, è sabgliato ;-)

 PiÃ¹ che fuori moda, Ãš sabgliato ;-)
 
I agree wholeheartedly, but the New York Times disagrees and uses the 
apostrophe all the time. They also include the periods, however: "A.T.M.'s" 
which I consider horridly spotty and totally unnecessary. It's not really 
wrong so much as a rule of style according to the New York Times. In my own 
publications I eschew such spotty text. (Sorry: I won't use 'eschew' again at 
least for a month.)



In effetti, ho risposto troppo frettolosamente: con gli acronimi 
l'apostrofo è permesso, ma non più obbligatorio (probabilmente lo era 
una volta).
 
Fonte: the Cambridge guide to English usage.

 which I consider horridly spotty and totally unnecessary.
 
I totally agree!
 
 

 Sono fratelli? :-)
 
Senza articolo determinativo, l'affermazione è generale, cioè vale per
tutti, fratelli e non :-)

 dictionary.
 
I just wanted to stir waters a bit! :-)

 termine più specifico?
 
Si', si dice cosi'. A me sia alle medie che alle superiori avevano detto 
che si dice o "exercise book" o "notebook". Ne avevo discusso qui 
esattamente due anni fa, se vuoi andare a cercare. :)


 esattamente due anni fa, se vuoi andare a cercare. :)
 
Preferisco una matrice che spiega quaderno, exercise book, taccuino, 
copybook, libretto, notebook, 3-ring binder, blocco, writing pad, et cetera.
 
 

 cetera.
 
Una matrice? Una tabella, vuoi dire?


 Una matrice? Una tabella, vuoi dire?
 
Una tabella andrebbe bene, grazie.
 
 
 

Perň cereal č come milk, AFAIK.
 
Actually , you really K Further , since all your queries reflect an enviable 
(it would be enviable to many native speakers!) awareness of the subtleties 
and ambiguities of English usage. 'Would you like some cereal?' is certainly 
possible , 'cereals' more likely .
 
Mike
 

 possible , 'cereals' more likely .
 
Really? Never, in the US.
 
-- 
Joey from New York



 
.