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wsieber Offline OP
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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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sjm Offline
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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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I also say "spoonfuls" - but would usually *write "spoonsful."


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dxb Offline
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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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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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Oh, well! if all you're concerned with is avoiding confusion!!




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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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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.


#107810 07/17/03 05:26 PM
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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.


#107811 07/17/03 05:26 PM
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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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okwow, ifn you want pedantic...

But how do you put it, if several of the same are needed?

Cupful.


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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


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wow Offline
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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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OK, Bingley, that's an excellent point. Makes sense to me! You have converted me to spoonfuls.

Whereas maverick, Pfranz and I utterly failed.


#107816 07/18/03 06:12 PM
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yeah, he's a sly dog...


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Whereas maverick, Pfranz and I utterly failed

Yup! failed utterly!


#107818 07/19/03 01:37 PM
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yeah, he's a sly dog...
Ooh, you don't know the half of it!


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