Shrimp(s) and prawns

[Paul A Johnston, Jr.]

In the UK, they're all prawns--and they do serve prawn cocktail.

Yours,
Paul

----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at BELLSOUTH.NET>
Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 8:20 pm
Subject: Re: Shrimp(s) and prawns

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at BELLSOUTH.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Shrimp(s) and prawns
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>
> On the east coast of the US they are all "shrimp", regardless of
> size.  As
> far as I know, the word "prawn" is unknown.
>
> In California, and maybe the rest of the west coast, small, salad-size
> shrimp are "shrimp", larger varieties, such as might go on the
> barbie or
> into a cocktail are "prawns. Altho during my years there I never
> heard of a
> "prawn cocktail"
>
> Bill Palmer
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 8:11 PM
> Subject: Re: Shrimp(s) and prawns
>
>
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> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: Shrimp(s) and prawns
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------
> --------------
> >
> > At 3/10/2009 08:05 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:
> >>I seem to remember a time when the plural of "shrimp" was *shrimp*,
> >>like unto "sheep, sheep." But maybe it was just a BE thing. Or maybe
> >>the problem is with my memory. I won't bet money on this.
> >
> > When you meet them at the dinner table, they're shrimp.*  But when
> > you meet them on the school playground, they're shrimps.
> >
> > Joel
> >
> > * If shrimp are fish, then the plural is "shrimp".  Unless you're
> > mixing shrimp and prawns, when they become two kinds of fishes.
> >
> > :-)
> >
> > Joel
> >
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