Elvises -> Elvi(i)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 8/6/07, Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >the evidently tongue-in-cheek rendering of "Elvises" as "Elvi", which has
> >been going on for I'm not sure how long (anyone?)
>
> Found one on Google Groups from 1982: "no more griping about Elvi (plural of
> Elvis) Options."
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/net.music/browse_thread/thread/d62627eda5565b3f/27e89292f88e93aax
>

The word "Options" isn't part of the subject line, by the way -- it's
just "No more griping about Elvi (plural of Elvis)." The Elvises in
question are Messrs. Presley and Costello, rather than Elvis Presley
impersonators.

Earliest I've found for "Elvii" is from '86:

1986 _Globe & Mail_ 16 Aug D3 (Factiva/Nexis) Two hundred Elvises -
the Elvii - were the highlight of the recent Statue of Liberty
extravaganza.


--Ben Zimmer

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