[Ads-l] hypercorrect pluralization of attributives

Dave Hause dwhause at CABLEMO.NET
Tue Sep 20 03:55:36 UTC 2016


Or five foot sixteen, if you're feeling height sensitive.
Dave Hause
-----Original Message----- 
From: Wilson Gray
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2016 11:22 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: hypercorrect pluralization of attributives

On Mon, Sep 19, 2016 at 11:17 AM, MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY
RDECOM AMRDEC (US) <william.d.mullins18.civ at mail.mil> wrote:

> six-foot-four


Being of that height myself, it gives me the jaws when people correct that
to "six-feet-four." OTOH, I am sux feet, four inches tall.

That is, IMO, these are separate constructions and it matters which is used
when. Of course, that hardly means that this distinction necessarily
matters to the rest of the English-speaking world.

Though, of course, it should. 😉

-- 
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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