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#158771 04/20/2006 9:31 AM
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I have a BlackBerry and buy another - I now have two .......?

#158772 04/20/2006 9:35 AM
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overdrafts?

#158773 04/20/2006 9:50 AM
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Blackberrys/Walkmans

#158774 04/20/2006 10:14 AM
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> Blackberrys

Okay, 'BlackBerrys' it is (note capital;-) ... everyone happy?

#158775 04/20/2006 5:16 PM
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Quote:

> Blackberrys

Okay, 'BlackBerrys' it is (note capital;-) ... everyone happy?




Es freut mich that you're posting again, yes. But I think I prefer Mav's "overdrafts."

#158776 04/21/2006 9:49 AM
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Why not "--Berries"?


#158777 04/21/2006 10:11 AM
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> I think I prefer Mav's "overdrafts."

Please - take them! :]

#158778 04/21/2006 10:52 AM
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> Why not "--Berries"?

Ah ha, a dissenter! I knew there was one out there. IP, you put forth 'BlackBerrys', so you explanatory services are required. Just why do all product names take '-s' as their plural, regardless of whether the name is a normal word or not? .... this better be good :-)

#158779 04/21/2006 11:15 AM
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I think whats-his-name talks about it in his first book, What's-It-called. That is Chomsky's student who started publishing ten or so years ago, it isn't Pinter is it? I mean, he's a playwright, isn't he? So it must be something else. That guy, with reference to Walkmans. I think its simpler though: Blackberry is a tradename, and Blackberries ain't. And, truth told, I would say "Walkmen," if I didn't have his inadvertent prescription in my ear wigged.

Last edited by inselpeter; 04/21/2006 11:16 AM.
#158780 04/21/2006 2:49 PM
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>I think whats-his-name talks about it in his first book, What's-It-called.

Pinker, The Language Instinct?

#158781 04/22/2006 11:26 PM
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BlackBerry, the brand name for the communication device is a proper noun. Proper nouns, when plural, take an S even if they finish in Y.

Blackberry, when used to name the fruit, is a common noun. Nouns that finish in Y finish in IES when in the plural form, unless the Y is preceeded by a vowel.

The easest way to visualize this is to imagine having two people in your family called Wendy. When you write this down, you'd write, "There are two Wendys in our family" not "two Wendies"

It only becomes confusing when companies use common nouns as brand names, turning them into proper nouns. We know the word as a common noun and want to treat it that way and the correct way of pluralizing it grates at us.

#158782 04/23/2006 12:45 AM
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We did have two Wendy's in our family, and a blind cousin could tell them apart by their perfume. Said it was a case of Wendy scent exposure.


TEd
#158783 04/23/2006 11:36 AM
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FWIW, googling "blackberries" does give a link to the RIM web site in the top ten.

#158784 04/24/2006 3:25 PM
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> googling "blackberries

yeahbut it's standard marketing advice to consider common mistaken spellings when choosing your keywords. When you're advertising Pepsi for example, you'll want to include such simple errors as "Coke"...

#158785 04/24/2006 11:04 PM
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Oooo, yer in trouble now Mister!!! Coke is never an error - t'is that brown gook Pepsi that's the error.


#158786 04/25/2006 7:12 AM
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Ah, sugary beverages - they're a popular topic around here, huh. Read this recently:

School soft drink ban

#158787 04/26/2006 2:50 AM
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Quote:

BlackBerry, the brand name for the communication device is a proper noun. Proper nouns, when plural, take an S even if they finish in Y.

Blackberry, when used to name the fruit, is a common noun. Nouns that finish in Y finish in IES when in the plural form, unless the Y is preceeded by a vowel.

The easest way to visualize this is to imagine having two people in your family called Wendy. When you write this down, you'd write, "There are two Wendys in our family" not "two Wendies"

It only becomes confusing when companies use common nouns as brand names, turning them into proper nouns. We know the word as a common noun and want to treat it that way and the correct way of pluralizing it grates at us.




Works for me.

#158788 04/26/2006 11:43 AM
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> Works for me.

Yes. Good explanation thanks, BelM.

#158789 04/26/2006 5:52 PM
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One BlackBerry.
Two BlackBerrys.
Three BlackBerrys.
Jam.

#158790 04/26/2006 10:02 PM
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One Lego.
Two.....?

#158791 04/26/2006 10:15 PM
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Legos


formerly known as etaoin...
#158792 04/27/2006 1:02 AM
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One kudos.
Two _____?

#158793 04/27/2006 1:08 AM
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There is no plural because kudos is uncountable in English.


Bingley
#158794 04/27/2006 9:08 AM
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kudi


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#158795 04/27/2006 9:45 AM
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Quote:

kudi




Close.

#158796 04/27/2006 10:02 AM
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kudu?


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#158797 04/27/2006 10:21 AM
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kudu?




Getting colder.

Kudoi.

#158798 04/27/2006 10:32 AM
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Quote:

kudi




Is the punjabi word for "girl" as it happens.

#158799 04/27/2006 11:02 AM
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it's all Greek to me...


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#158800 04/27/2006 11:11 AM
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Quote:

Quote:

kudu?




Getting colder.

Kudoi.




Naah. It's kudzu. Say it over and over again and it kind of creeps up on you.


TEd
#158801 04/27/2006 6:07 PM
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Naah. It's kudzu. Say it over and over again and it kind of creeps up on you.




OK, TEd, this time you made me L*LOL.


___
*literally


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