That first choice in the decision tree is the most important one.
Can I use “sea beasties” if I’m just standing in a mud puddle in the Midwest, a long way from any ocean? Because that’s my preferred plural form.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
I just switch to ancient Greek and call them “polupodes”.
Except that I never get to, because they’re solitary.
Proudfeet.
The important question is, “How the hell does a douche-canoe work?”
Anyone have a good recipe for whatever they are?
#4
Yes, with instructional video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml5AAM_O6lE
“Can I use “sea beasties” if I’m just standing in a mud puddle in the Midwest, a long way from any ocean? Because that’s my preferred plural form.”
Crawdad. Ain’t a fish, ain’t a turtle, it’s a crawdad. (or a leech, but then the proper name is ‘motherf———– leech!’).
I am a pretentious Classicist. The important thing is that it lets me talk about Latin and Greek. All else is secondary.
Pulpos.
Out here in the Arizona desert we have the same problem with cactus. Which we resolved by getting 3 versions: there are several species of cactus, cacti, and cactuses.
I am pretty confident “octopust” is a non-word. At least in Finnish language.
# 5 Tim W
Definitely looks interesting!
#10 I think it is trying to be “octopukset”, in the way as “ostos -> ostokset”.
The mildly deranged penguin prefers calamari, preferably plural with lots of garlic, but singular will do if there is enough garlic. I point out to her that’s squid, but she then points out garlic is not an animal but a fruit. Or a bat(flying mouse variety). She thinks that confusion may be part of the connection to vampires. Besides, she adds, have you ever seen anyone trying to stake a vampire with a squid?
@Cartomancer:
Sic Semper Vulgata
…or something like that.
That’s “douche-kayak,” please.
It’s all Cthulhu to me.
Am I a douche-canoe for pointing out that the German plural of “octopus” is never octopusen? It’s Oktopusse or Oktopoden.
Well, in Czech it is easy, the word “chobotnice” is used for both singular and plural.
Of course these onomastic challenges work both ways: take antipodes, wherein poor Long
DongJohn Silver only has an antipous.I live on a sail boat, I legit get to use the best option
In Italian we have a different problem: the word is “polpo”, but many people erroneously say “polipo”, which actually means “polyp” — both the larval cnidaria and the unwelcome growth:
I usually say “polipo” too, although I should know better, because “polpo” just sounds weird, regardless of what dictionaries say. The plural is “polipi”. NO wait! “polpi”.