singular debris?

[Joseph McCollum]

On Wed, 21 Jul 1999 17:53:49 -0500 Pafra & Scott Catledge
<scplc at GS.VERIO.NET> writes:
>That usage is more of a limited count noun than a plural.  I do not
>think
>that you would hear two debris anymore than you would two guts; you
>could
>hear "he's got lots of guts" as an alternative to "a lot of guts."
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Arnold Zwicky <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU>
>To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 1999 9:38 AM
>Subject: Re: singular debris?
>
>
>> barbara need asks when DEBRIS became singular.  i've used
>> it all my life as a mass noun, hence as singular in its
>> agreement pattern.  and i don't recall ever having heard/seen
>> it used as a plural count noun; LOTS OF DEBRIS WERE SCATTERED
>> ON THE BEACH makes me break out all over in asterisks, in fact.
>>

Lots of junk were scattered on the beach vs.
Lots of junk was scattered on the beach...
("of junk," "of debris," or "of things" is irrelevant.)

The subject of "scattered" is "lots."
Plural:  Is it Lot 1 of junk, Lot 2 of junk, ... Lot n of junk?
Singular:  the "lots of junk" considered as one object, as in
        "ham and eggs is my favorite breakfast."