|
So when's she leaving? 
|
|
|
|
|
I'm curious about the plural form of "gin and tonic". Is it gins and tonic, gin and tonics or gins and tonics? I lean to gins and tonic but that does not seem to agree with the accepted wisdom.
When we sort that out how about "fish and chips".
Peter Wasser
Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.
Frank Zappa
|
|
|
|
|
pwasser wrote: plural form of "gin and tonic"
Is "gin++ and tonix"
|
|
|
|
|
I didn't think you could count such things as Gin and Tonic so I wouldn't have thought there was a plural form for it.
The best you could say is "Two glasses of/servings of gin and tonic".
As for Fish and Chips, since plural of fish is still fish (although you can say "fishes"), plural of Fish and Chips would still be Fish and Chips.
Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike... me...
|
|
|
|
|
You can count such things: particularly when the constabulary ask "Have you been drinking, Sir?"
However, your ability to precise as to the number decreases as the number itself increases, probably leading to the officer asking the question in the first place...
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
|
|
|
|
|
Fish and chips I agree. Why shouldn't you count g&t's?
Peter Wasser
Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.
Frank Zappa
|
|
|
|
|
pwasser wrote: Why shouldn't you count g&t's?
Beasuse it is uncountable? As milk for example. You buy milk. Or two milks? Or maybe two bottles of milk?
It's the same with G&T - how much is one G&T and how much two?
100ml may be the standard "one", but some of CPians would probably say it's much less than standard.
You must count it in term of volume (in ml or glasses/bottles/buckets). So IMHO you drink two glasses of G&T not two gin and tonics...
|
|
|
|
|
Well in a pub the gin will always be a standard measure.
So you can ask: "Two gins and tonic, make one a double please".
Peter Wasser
Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.
Frank Zappa
|
|
|
|
|
That's correct.
But be careful, following this path may end in ordering two whiskys and getting the well known brand cat food instead.
|
|
|
|
|
pwasser wrote: "fish and chips"
It's perfect - you got only one fish but two or more chips!!!
I'm not questioning your powers of observation; I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is. (V)
|
|
|
|
|
Indeed, but that won't feed a family of four! You are going to have to increase the number of Cod / Haddock / Pollock fillets you purchase, and that requires pluralisation of the entire order... 
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
|
|
|
|
|
OriginalGriff wrote: requires pluralisation of the entire order
And that requires the pluralization of you incomes!!!
I'm not questioning your powers of observation; I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is. (V)
|
|
|
|
|
AlcoholicBeverage GnT = Gin + Tonic;
AlcoholicBeverage ForTwo = GnT * 2;
Console.WriteLine("Gin{0} & Tonic{1}", ForTwo.GinCount() <= 1 ? "" : "s", ForTwo.TonicCount() <= 1 ? "" : "s");
Clearly writes "Gins & Tonics".
But...the correct phrase would be Gin and Tonics[^]
And the plural "fish and chips" is clearly "fish and chips twice" 
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
|
|
|
|
|
Well the argument is that gin and tonic is a noun - just add an s for many.
So what is the argument for "governors general"?
Peter Wasser
Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.
Frank Zappa
|
|
|
|
|
In that example, general is a post positional adjective.
speramus in juniperus
|
|
|
|
|
Gins and Tonic is correct.
Like Courts Marshall or Professors Emeritus.
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
|
|
|
|
|
|
I agree but for example "whisky and sodas" just sounds wrong.
Peter Wasser
Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.
Frank Zappa
|
|
|
|
|
Sounds exactly correct to me.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
|
|
|
|
|
An unequalled authority, with strange Hungarian name, stated 'Gin and Tonic' is invariant, or better, the singular form is unused.
Veni, vidi, vici.
|
|
|
|
|
I didn't think he even knew what "tonic" was? 
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-----
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-----
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
|
|
|
|
|
pwasser wrote: how about "fish and chips".
A normal portion is a single piece of fish with a bag of chips (what foreigners call fries or frites) added.
Veni, vidi, abiit domum
|
|
|
|
|
Over here (UK), the norm is Gin & Tonics. Frequently shortened to "two G&Ts".
I've never, ever, heard anyone ask for 2 Gins and Tonics (they'd probably get 2 gins and 2 tonics separately if they did).
I guess its hard to parenthesise in speech "2 (gin and tonic)s".
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
|
|
|
|
|
There's a simple solution if you mix a second gin and tonic you now have 2 milli-Nagy's.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
|
|
|
|
|
This is a situation where you have two nouns that, together, describe a single thing. So the plural goes on the second noun: gin and tonics.
There are situations where you will have a noun followed by an adjective or other attributive, such as "power of attorney" and "notary public." In these cases, you pluralize the one noun in the phrase: powers of attorney and notaries public.
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
