Just wondering everyone's thoughts I know everyone has a different opinion and uses a different word. Is anyone an English teacher that can give an opinion?What is the plural word for Cutlass? Is it Cutlasses, Cutlass's or just Cutlass (like deer is plural or singular)? I know several members own more than one. So what word do you use? Me myself I use Cutlass plural or singular.

 

Cutlasses would be correct.

 

Just throwing this out there but maybe cutli

 

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cutlass

 

I'm not an english teacher (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night) but the way that I was taught would list the plural of cutlass as cutlass'.

 

I have also have heard Cutli. I forgot about Cutlass'.

 

What about the plural of octopus would it be octopuses or octopi lol.

 

I come from a long lineage of teachers.

The CORRECT plural of Cutlass is Cutlass'

 

Well "lass" is singular and "lasses" would be plural.

 

"Cutlass'" would not be the plural, although it's pronounced in the same manner as the correct "Cutlasses". Anything with an apostrophe is possessive.

Possessive: "My three Cutlass' bucket seats are so uncomfortable."

Plural: "I have three Cutlasses."

I always enjoy seeing "Cutlii" and get a chuckle, but it's not correct.

Terry

 

Yes.

Well, we're throwing it back.

The "i" ending for plurals like alumnus/alumni and radius/radii is when the word ends in "us." It's a Latin plural. The word "Cutlass" does not end in "us."



You three need to get your money back from your English teacher. An apostrophe indicates a possessive, not a plural.

As an example, the windshield on that Cutlass could be described as "that Cutlass's windshield" or "that Cutlass' windshield." I've seen both in other contexts, but the way I learned it is that, when a word ends in "s" and you want to make it possess something, you put an apostrophe after the "s" and that's all. So the correct version is "that Cutlass' windshield."

Apostrophes indicate one of two things, a possessive or missing letters. An example of the latter is the abbreviation "haven't" for "have not" where the apostrophe stands in for the missing "o" in the word "not" (the "n" got moved to the end of "have"). Another example is "you're" for "you are" where the apostrophe replaces the "a" in "are."

But an apostrophe never indicates a plural.

 

And there ya have it.

 

Anytime I see Cutlasses together I just say "awesome" does that count?

 

It's Cutlasses. Period.

It is funny seeing Cutlii though. I believe that is intentional for comedic effect. (not affect)

Octopus pluralized would be Octopuses.

A lot of these depend on the history of the Latin declension.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_d...ension_.28o.29

 

The problem with things like Cutlii is someone does it to be cute, and then ignorant people trying to appear educated use it and think it's correct, then the stupidity propagates. People have always spoken badly, but at least they used to know that they were using poor English.

 

I'm glad I don't have to worry about this as I have 442s.

 

Four Forty Two's?

 

Yes! Someone who knows the proper usage of effect and affect!
Now if we could just get people to properly use ensure and insure.

 

While I am not the grammar expert that stayed at a Holiday Inn, the Chicago Manual of Style shows three instances of plural with an apostrophe.

Single letters:. "Mind your p' and q's." "Dot your i's and cross your t's."

Also used with certain words that require an apostrophe for clarity:
"His speech had too many if's, and's and but's." or "Bill has had enough of her 'maybe's'."

A singular or plural noun ending in "s" takes just the apostrophe: Dickens' novels, the hostess' invitation.

The Chicago Manual of Style may be wrong, but this is how I was taught. Got to love a good grammar discussion.

Tim

 

In the back of the dictionary I read when I was learning, the use of the apostrophe extends to the plural of items of speech such as "442". The example cited was to "mind your p's and q's", or "we well a lot of TV's".

So, in an exception the "apostrophes indicate possession" rule we have the proper plural of 442 as "442's" & more than one F85 must be a gaggle [?] of F85's. Also, the its vs. it's situation complicates the accepted correct use of the apostrophe- the contraction gets to use one, but the possessive doesn't.

And yes I put the closing quite mark inside the period for a reason. 'Cause I likes it that way, it makes more sense. I don't care if it's incorrect.

From math classes- the prof was about 90 and shook like crazy but he was good, and funny at times: "Why is the class called Matrices 201? Because the item under study is a matrix, and the plural of matrix is matrices. So, note, therefore, that the plural of Kleenex is Kleenices." I still love that one.

My educated supervisor today said something along the lines of "...have a get together with you, I and Bruce..."

*sigh*

"with I" ? Really?

How about "WITH ME" ?!?!
It's not that difficult.

Thank you for baring with me, I hope it ha's a positive affect. [ha ha ha]

 

Since I've been one of the major users of "Cutlii", you would be correct.

On the other hand, the plurals of focus (Ford or otherwise) and radius are foci and radii.

Just sayin'...

By the way, the word for an apostrophe use where letters are missing is a contraction, isn't it.

 

So then if I was trying to impress someone I had better Say something like, It was a great day for waxing all of my Cutlass cars.

 

My fiance works for toyota and the prius forum decided its offically ok to call multiple priuses prii. Its funny I think like cactus, cacti , etc etc.

 

The term Cutlii as a plural form of Cutlass probably came into being because of the tendency to pronounce Cutlass as Cutluss . I know that's the way I pronounce it, as I can't bring myself to say Cut....lass. (Canadian dialect...can't help it.)

 

The official English plural for the word "Cutlass" is "Cutlasses."

There can be no debate about this. Do not check a style manual or grammar guide; check any dictionary.
Style manuals and grammar guides discuss generalities. The specific plural of this specific word is "Cutlasses."

Further, the plurals and genitives are as follows:
Singular: Cutlass
Plural: Cutlasses
Singular possessive: Cutlass's
Plural possessive: Cutlasses'

The etymology of Cutlass indicates that it stems from the Latin "cultelus," the diminutive of "culter," meaning "knife," "ploughshare," or "spear point," which is found in Middle French as "coutelas" (modern French "couteau," modern Italian "coltello"), and then in Elizabethan English as "coutelace."

"Culter" and "cultelus" are masculine nouns of the Second Declension, and so both take the —i plural, thus: "cultri" and "culteli."

Therefore, my preferred plural, "Cutlii" (with the final vowels pronounced, of course, as a diphthong) has some basis in the etymology of the word, even if it is not technically the most correct way of expressing it in English.

- Eric

 

...you mean 'ending with an apostrophe', right? Otherwise contractions like it's, don't, isn't etc would fall in the category of 'anything with an apostrophe'...Yes I know, it was implied... language and spelling can be so complicated at times.

LOL Don't be so 'possessive' of those 3 Cutlass bucket seats that are so uncomfortable. Unbolt them and ship them up to me. I have a nice comfy power bench A52 I'll trade so you can plant your tush quite comfortably...

I have a better way to avoid confusion when speaking with peeps. Goes like this. "I own this Cutlass". Then I say "I also have another 2 of them at home"

 

Suddenly I feel so dirty.

 

See, grammar can be fun.

- Eric

 

Ask a sportscaster what it should be. If they don't know what a word should be they just make up one that seems to fit. Just tell people you have a few Olds, or is it Oldses or Oldsies. Or, darn it, now you guys have me all confused.

 

Squeaky clean here with jumper , jumpers, jumphers or jumpemal !!!

 

Me too...chadman you BMBs... LOL!