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#104478 05/30/03 02:10 AM
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I just encountered gas pluralized in an astronomy article as gasses. Referring to the *rule of adding -es to pluralize an "s" word, it doesn't look right to me. I would use gases. And then why, among all the -as[s] nouns is gas the only one spelled with one "s"? Bass, lass, mass, pass...gas?


#104479 05/30/03 08:12 AM
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Well, as in everything else to do with the English language, perhaps the question you should be asking is "why not?", Juan.


#104480 05/30/03 10:01 AM
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And why limit your inquiry to -as words? Buses always looks funny to me as the plural of bus.

And the plural of As is Ęsir.


#104481 05/30/03 11:01 AM
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I've seen both gasses and busses, and Atomica said both versions (double or single s) are OK. Remember that there's a difference between American and British useage in words like travelling, too. I personally think it looks naked without double the L.


#104482 05/30/03 12:22 PM
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I personally think it looks naked without double the L.
Nope, nope, nope. With two l's, I want to say it as "trav-ell-ell-ell-ing"...
Hmm--if I had started that sentence with, "With two ells, I want to say it", would you all have understood me? (Uh oh, there she goes thinkin' again--always a dangerous activity.)



#104483 05/30/03 12:48 PM
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Dear WO'N: Rules were made to be broken. My dictionary gives both: With only one "s" it would have long "a", so I like the two esses.
gas
n.,
pl. gas[es or gas[ses 7gas4iz8 5ModL, altered by Van Helmont (1577-1644), Belgian chemist (with g3 pronounced, as in Du, as a voiced fricative) < Gr chaos, air (see CHAOS), term used by Paracelsus6
1 the fluid form of a substance in which it can expand indefinitely and completely fill its container; form that is neither liquid nor solid; vapor
2 any mixture of flammable gases used for lighting, heating, or cooking
3 any gas, as nitrous oxide, used as an anesthetic
4 any substance, as phosgene, intentionally dispersed through the atmosphere, as in war, to act as a poison, irritant, or asphyxiant
5 various gaseous substances formed by living or decaying matter, esp. if formed in the stomach, bowels, etc.
6 [Colloq.] short for GASOLINE
>7 [Slang] a) idle or boastful talk b) something or someone that is very pleasing, exciting, amusing, etc. !the movie was a gas"
8 Mining a mixture of firedamp with air, that explodes if ignited
vt.
gassed, gas4sing
1 to supply with gas
2 to subject to the action of gas
3 to injure or kill by gas, as in war
>4 [Slang] to thrill, delight, amuse greatly, etc.
vi.
1 to give off gas
>2 [Slang] to talk in an idle or boastful way
adj.
of, using, or operated by gas
>gas it up [Colloq.] to supply (a vehicle) with gasoline
>step on the gas
1 [Slang] to press on the accelerator of an automobile
2 to hurry; move or act faster



#104484 05/30/03 01:49 PM
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With two l's, I want to say it as "trav-ell-ell-ell-ing"...

Or, equally, with one L, I want to skip over pronouncing it, it seems so weak there all alone!


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Depends on just how much distance from the subject you want to keep.



TEd
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When I was a little kid, my brothers and I were the objects of kissing from our two aunts, who were always trying to get in an equal number of kisses. Just another example of forced bussing to achieve auntequation.



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Three in one. A real gem, TEd.


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