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On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:38:07 +0200, Uwe Thiem wrote: |
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> I was looking up something in my Oxford dictionary. First, I had to |
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> make sure how they indicate irregular plurals. The first word that came |
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> to mind was mouse. Look what they write there apart from 1. the animal |
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> and 2. a timid person: |
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> |
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> 3. (plural mouses) a small hand-held device for controlling a cursor on |
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> a VDU screen. |
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> |
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> I have never seen anyone (except non-native speakers by mistake) use |
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> mouses as the plural for a computer mouse. Are the people of the Oxford |
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> dictionary nuts, or is this really correct and mice wrong in this case? |
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1) You have waaaaaaayyyyy too much time on your hands :) |
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2) My OED (2002 edition) says of the computer device "(pl also mouses)" |
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so they consider both mice and mouses to be correct. |
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3) Bear in mind that a dictionary documents the language as used, not a |
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set of rule for using it, so if both plurals are accepted usage, both |
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should be included (you are not alone Alan :) |
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4) One of the main cultural references of my youth called them meeces, |
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but the OED doesn't like that one... |
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-- |
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Neil Bothwick |
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Top Oxymorons Number 38: Government organization |
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