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old hand
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old hand
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A spoonful of sugar - that's easy. But how do you put it, if several of the same are needed?
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Posts: 742
old hand
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old hand
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Well I know that it should be spoonsful, but that's too much of a mouthful, so I go with spoonfuls.
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Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
I also say "spoonfuls" - but would usually *write "spoonsful."
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Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
That puts it very well. In a nutshell. (I may turn these two sentences into a standard keystroke to use following Rhuby's posts  )
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I would definitely say, and write, 'spoonfuls'. I think to do otherwise is simply confusing what is being pluralised - the referent is the 'spoonful', ie, the contents, not the (singular) spoon.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Oh, well! if all you're concerned with is avoiding confusion!! 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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spoonsful because (1.) I can be quite pedantic on occasion  and 2.) while I say spoonsful, I am thinking "spoons full" and (3.) In earlier days I wanted my children to be able to spell well and pronunciation is a big part of that skill.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624 |
Well, actually, it probably depends on whether you regard the word "spoonful" as a word in its own right - a unit of measure - or if you see it as two separate words run together for a particular purpose within some context or other.
I happen to see it as a measure. A spoonful is an amount. Two spoonfuls is twice the amount. I therefore happen to think that spoonsful is just wrong.
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Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I'm with the "spoonfuls" crowd. It's an amount; a measure, just like cupfuls. But then we have "passersby." Ah, English, the most lovely of bastards. 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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...to be able to spell well and pronunciation is a big part of that skill.Yet, certainly, not the other way around. [eg] ------------ I'm with Phranz... one wouldn't say "Rhube is good at summing up things into nuts'shell"... edit - "...we have "passersby." Well, you might have them... couldn't resist-e
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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okwow, ifn you want pedantic... But how do you put it, if several of the same are needed?Cupful.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Perhaps you do things differently over there, but if I'm measuring out sugar or whatever, I usually use the same spoon three times rather than three different spoons once each. So it's definitely spoonfuls -- the amount is pluralised rather than the spoons.
Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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OK, Bingley, that's an excellent point. Makes sense to me!You have converted me to spoonfuls.
On my fridge I have two large, magnetic metal "buttons" which give the dry and liquid measure conversions. Very handy when cooking. Now what I really need are two conversion "buttons" for European to American measures. It was quite an adventure to figure out the directions for my O'Douls Irish Bran Bread mix. But I did it and now have lovely bread for breakfast every morning. Yum!
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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OK, Bingley, that's an excellent point. Makes sense to me! You have converted me to spoonfuls. Whereas maverick, Pfranz and I utterly failed. 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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yeah, he's a sly dog...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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yeah, he's a sly dog... Ooh, you don't know the half of it!
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