I work hard at tolerating singular they, I really do. but if you're going to use it, ought you not try to be internally consistent with, like, objects?! here's a jarring (to me) example of a failure to do so:

..each was expected to present a short report on highlights in their respective bureaus[!sic!] since last weeks meeting. - John Lescroart, The Second Chair

I can imagine this to be the work of a lowly copy editor, but still. (if this has left you scratching your head, try substituting an actual singular pronoun such as his or her for their in the example.)

I would have said "of their", not "in their".

I work hard at tolerating singular they, I really do. but

Oh, pshaw! As a feature of English grammar, from some of our best writers, for over six centuries, it should not only be tolerated but taught in grammar schools.

[!sic!]

What abomination is this? Does this mean "not sic!" or "not sic not"?

Anyway, I see what's going on, and it's interesting. Obviously, their still retains a trace of plurality, and therefore, the plural on bureaus (erm, bureaux) seems right. If I penned the sentence, though, I'd probably go with the singular bureau as well as the singular they.

merely emPHAsizing that the atrocity was in the original. oh, but you knew that.
-joe (I get it) friday

..each was expected to present a short report on highlights in their respective bureaus[!sic!] since last weeks meeting. - John Lescroart, The Second Chair

Could be they are super employees / managers who all have more than one bureau each.

I'm really curious what could be a highlight in or of any bureau.

it's San Francisco police bureaus - one Lieutenant heads each (at least in this author's conceit).

Oh, that explains it then.

Funny, but the tsuwm "corrected" version sounds wrong to me and the printed version does not. Well, you know what they say: de gustibus nihil nisi bonum, or something like that.

de gustibus non est disputandum???

de gustibus non est disputandum?

Faldo was playing with two Latin sayings: (1) de gustibus nihil nisi bonum (dicendum est) "(Say) nothing about the dead, unless it's good", and (2) de gustibus non est disputandum "There's not arguing about tastes".

Sorry - thanks.

Sorry - thanks.

No need to apologize. I was just offering my take it, and it was mostly informational. You're welcome, though ...

Actually 1) was de mortuis nihil nisi bonum, but who's counting? Of course,you can't argue with the other one, de mortuis non est disputandum.

I'm sure someone could....

The one certainty besides taxes, they say.

Wait a minute; what about flies?

They don't pay taxes.

The fruit ones like bananas. The time ones like arrows.

I've never seen fruit, bananas, time, nor arrows one. What does it look like when they do?

Ones = flies, duh.

I've never seen fruit, bananas, time, nor arrows one.

I think Faldo means:

1. Fruit flies like bananas.
2. Time flies like an arrow.

Look, up in the sky, its a bird, its a plane.....