[Sunny So Cal]

I'm over the Octopus thing. What about squid? They're octopuses' fancy cousins. Some of them have bioluminescence, can change color and shoot ink. Top that. And, they're basic: Squid/Squids. Whichever you prefer. Hah!

[Yudster]

Cuttlefish.

[foot-loose]

Surely the plural of squid is squid? One squid, 10 quid?

Like sheep. And fish (except in the Bible where God makes his own rules).


"The Squids" sounds like a lot of unexpected trips to the toilet.

[Console]

Actually, I think both 'squid' and 'squids' is acceptable, although I'd have to look it up to make sure.

[MK Chris]

What about Romans, do multiple people called Maximus become "those Maximee over there"?

This is getting rather silly now..

[foot-loose]

"My name is Maximee Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next."

It kinda works. Even if that wasn't what you meant.

[Sunny So Cal]

Both squid and squids are acceptable.
I love "hippopotomee" and "platypee." It sounds much better than their original names. However, carrying that rule over to proper names ("Maximee"?) is just absurd. You're taking your New World Order to new heights of silliness now.

[foot-loose]

ducks hit

Two words where the space between them is very important.

[Bonanzoid]

Haha.

I've always wondered, rather trivially granted, why gaping inadequacies in the English language allow for the plural of 'mouse' and 'louse' to be 'mice' and 'lice'. Why then is the plural of 'house' 'houses'? Silly language.

[Sunny So Cal]

"Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way" by Bill Bryson. If you've not read it, do. He's his usually witty self in it and it helps answer some of the "Why the hell do we say --- ?" questions.

Actually, most of his other books are worthy of reading, too, especially "A Short History of Nearly Everything" and the obvious "Notes from a Small Island".

[Yudster]

I can't stand Bill Bryson. My misguided mother in law bought The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid for me last Christmas - I tried to like it, I really did, but I nearly died of boredom trying. He writes reams and reams about nothing, and he doesn't even do it entertainingly. He is very dull.

[S4B]

I agree Yuds I can't read him either, however millions of people love his books!

If you want a great author about the English Language read any David Crystal book he's a brilliant linguist!

[MK Chris]

Larry Wall is a good linguist. I don't think he's written any books on the English language though.

[Yudster]

If you really want to know about hoe English has developed, you need to read through the ages as such - start with Chaucer (try reading it in the original "language" - brilliant), next I would go with Shakespeare (but only because my literary knowledge is too limited to know of a suitable author in between), then the golden age - Scott, Burney, Jane Austen - take your pick - then we come to Dickens, who I find very difficult to read but he used the language in a way no-one else has ever come close to. I'm not sure who to go with from contemporary times, I would take S4B's advice on that.

[S4B]

Contemporary times you need to read a plethora of different authors such as Margaret Atwood (personnaly don't like herstyle), Ian McEwan, Joanna Trollope, Catherine Cookson (stories are very samey but language is really good especially in her earlier novels), Philippa Gregory, John Steinbeck (yes I know he's american), Alan Bennett, Joanne Harris, Sebastian Faulks, Will Self, Paul Auster.................. God I can go on and on but I'll stop now

[Yudster]

I can't believe you have put Joanna Trollope and Catherine Cookson in there. Is that to show how standards have dropped? Although it did remind me that Anthony Trollope could easily have been in my list earlier.

[S4B]

You asked for ways in which the language has developed! Both of them have developed different styles and, to be fair, Jane Austen (my fave all time author) was just an early runner to modern chick lit and Aga Saga! Don't forget Joanna Trollope is Anthony Trollope's great, great (great?) niece!

[claradooblue]

How could you not include Jilly Cooper? She pokes fun at English stereotypes like no other.
And she brought polo to the masses.

[S4B]

Very easily!

[foot-loose]

It's a little known fact that Shakespeare made most of the words in his plays up.

[S4B]

Examples please

[Ballbag]

Road..... hurry.......... generous..... critic........ obscene..........suspicious....... exposure.

These words are considered as being first used by Shakespeare, he may not necessarily have invented them personally though..... Foots McDoodle is right, he pioneered the usage of tons of words, but my minds gone blank at the moment.

[S4B]

First written down it doesn't mean he "made them up" as Mc Foots implies!

[Ballbag]

It does not indeed slut, but as not many of us were there at the time (Yuds, you, Div and Boboff excluded) it is the best indicator that perhaps he could have done so.

[Vivienne]

Stop calling me "div", or I may have to wish evil MacBeth stuff on you.