Just wondering---

1) - what is the plural of "court martial"?

2) - what is the plural of "faux pas"?

Pluralistically yours,

-- (lars@indy.net), March 21, 2002

Answers

courts- martial

faux pas

-- (what@i.think), March 21, 2002.

Certainly, "courts martial" is the officially 'correct' plural. However, if English speakers en masse adopt an 'incorrect' usage and drop the 'correct' one, then the 'incorrect' usage magically becomes correct. At the moment, it is still a bit dicey to say "court martials", but in fifty years no one will blink an eye at it.

OTOH, faux pas isn't even English, yet. And it isn't likely to be any time soon.

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), March 21, 2002.

So "faux pas" can be plural and singular? Are you sure the singular is not "fox paw"?

-- (lars@indy.net), March 21, 2002.

LN, in 100 years everyone will be saying "nucular". Bush is merely ahead of his time, avant garde.

-- (lars@indy.net), March 21, 2002.

Lars, is your name really George? ; )

-- Pammy (pamela_sue57@hotmail.com), March 21, 2002.

No, it's N. Gorge.

-- (lars@indy.net), March 21, 2002.

J

-- Pammy (pamela_sue57@hotmail.com), March 21, 2002.

Lars, I think the literal translation of faux pas is bad fake, then again I forget that French stuff. I don't think that even in french there's a plural for the word, sorta like deer. Ok now I'm getting too serious here. :)

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), March 22, 2002.

Maria, from the link supplied above by "what I think", faux pas, is a "social blunder" (literally a "false step") but it says "plural" so I'm still unclear as to what is the singular. You must be right, singular and plural are the same word, as in "deer" or "moose".

So I guess one fart in church is a faux pas and ten farts in church are still a faux pas. Hey, go for it!

-- (lars@indy.net), March 22, 2002.