I thought it was forums but fora sound(s) better!

Forums is more generally used these days, but fora is technically correct - and gladdens the hearts of sad sad sad linguistic pedants like me.

May I remind users that they must treat each other with respect if they want to continue posting here. Robust argument yes, silly insults no.

James
Digital Spy Ltd

As Sesquipedalian says, this place is full of clever dicks.

So what would your problem be with that , I wonder?
Either you're just not very clever, or you've been seriously short-changed in the dick department - both seem quite probable, judging from your posts.

I expect you're right! I remember David Butler insisting that it was "referendums" but probably his psephology was better than his latin!

[quote]Originally posted by Cybele
[b]

shu shu, if I'm not mistaken, is the name of one of the Giant Pandas at the San Diego Zoo.

[quote]

Try chou chou (darling, sweetheart - or double cabbage if you really must....)D

Isn't it lovely! I have a hard time trying to float 'addenda' at work

Switcher against dumbing down

Pony,

Who is Nell? Is she a dark horse biding her time or just underwhelmed by it all?

I know - given that Nell has made a career out of attention seeking (and I'm not knocking her for it, good luck to her!) it's odd that she seems so subdued. Indeed, when she's not with Christine, she seems to be with Tony - the two of them having become Nell's celebrity parent substitutes...

I honestly don't know why she's so quiet - perhaps shes just a bit scared to draw attention to herself, with Uri, Nigel and Rhona all in various stages of weirdness at the moment...

...On the other hand, maybe her friends at the Star et al have just told her to bide her time, so they can arrange for her to win at the appropriate psychological moment in week 2!!

Hey thats original, sign up and hide behind some fake name on a forum, how big of you!. What is 'loosers' ?, dont remember that one even from Primary school!. Once your out of kindergarten I will look forward to your banter.

Have a nice day

Tsk !!! Cybele really.

Agreed !
Me thinks we picked another real winner !

Did anyone else love it when Christine tackled Uri about his personal questions, etc, when he was trying to berate her for not endorsing Michael Jackson! She totally whipped him, and came over as reasonable and pleasant while she was doing it - something some of the other celebrities could learn from!

anyone remember the charity who wants to be a millionaire? neil and christine were on it and they didn't have a clue about pop music etc and only won £1000.. christine was devastated..she was in floods of tears saying everyone was right ,they are stupid and hopeless..neil had to console her and the production team had a whip round and doubled their money. they seemed like nice people in my opinion , and i think i had it confirmed in the lt programme.

Oh the nerve ! The sheer nerve of this shu shu person ! Pull yourself together !

Christine hamilton amuses me - And I strongly dislike tories - But that was her husband.........so...........Christine gets my vote - Officially heard it here folks!!!!!!!!!

Wow! I shall just refill my glass of Bailey's and toast this wonderful and totally unexpected gesture......

I know! I've only just seen it , and am hanging my head in shame.

My only excuse is that I was a) enraged and b) in a hurry last night as I had to go out, so proof-reading went out of thewindow..

Cybele, whilst you are discussing linguistics, I would like your help with this.

I used the term 'computer mice' in a statement during a night out at the weekend, and was jumped on by two of my friends. They said it was 'Computer mouses', I started laughing which eventually led a little argument.

Is it computer mouses or computer mice?

If I can leap in?

Either is correct, apparently, so tell them to chill!

I wonder is shu shu will be back today???

Hmmm...interesting question. The plural of mouse is obviously mice, but `computer mice' sounds very odd, somehow.

As with the Latin based words we were talking about above, the technically correct answer may no longer be the common usage. The rules of language, and the meanings of words, are to some extent fluid, and evolve over time through usage.

My intuitive feeling here is that computer mouses sounds more appropriate than computer mice. Perhaps the reason is that a computer mouse is only symbolically a mouse, so we don't feel the need to use the normal plural. Or does that sound completely batty?

But I'm not a computer geek, and perhaps the best person to answer this question would be a techie who works with computers - presumably they sorted out this question to their own satisfaction, ages ago.

Bugger! I guess the fact that I came up with the answer so quickly puts me firmly in the geek category ... fukc fukcity fukc fukc fukc fukc fukc!!!

Maybe the muppets from yesterday afternoon had me sussed

Love it when geeks all gang up together - ooooh makes me feel all warm and cosy inside....Kinda feel like I've just stumbled on some Library Club reunion... Sweet.

Oh and FYI if you put as much effort into your actual life as you did trying to sound clever in your posts, You might actually have one.

Dont worry moderator I shall not be putting anymore silly insults into my posts - your words of warning have cut me to the quick... I have realised the error of my ways and how immature it must sound to all you Dads out there.

Oh and shu shu means absolutely nada.

Shu shu,

Don't ask me why quite a few people have decided to have a go at you ... I certainly didn't ask them to ... I don't have a clue who they are for a start!

Maybe it's because people prefer 'clever dicks' to people with a bad attitude? If you have a problem with people having mutual respect for each other then you'll end up having a hard time here I think.

If you want to be part of this forum then that's cool, you sound like you might actually be an interesting person. Just don't go round insulting people, not big, not clever.

For info ... I have a life ... I'm at work right now getting paid a decent wedge to write this post (which makes me rather clever ). I have lots of really positive things in my life and am almost certainly at least as happy and content as you so your comments are like water off a duck's back.

BTW - The moderator's comment wasn't to you ... but if the cap fits ...

No, you're right - referendums is a special case.

Forum is a straightforward neuter noun in Latin, and the nominative plural is fora.

Referendum, on the other hand, is a Latin gerund, or verbal noun (English example: "his doing that again would not be a good idea"), which has no plural .
The word `referenda` in Latin is not the plural of referendum, but is a plural gerundive, or verbal adjective, and has a slightly different sense.

For this reason the plural referendums is logically preferable in English. Both forms are used, but style guides etc tend to recommend referendums.


Ok, from now on I promise to confine myself to dirty jokes, and making rude comments about the contestants and other forum members...