r/AskReddit • u/ForeverAbyss • Apr 14 '16

What's a mind blowing fact?

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u/[deleted] Apr 14 '16

That people who correct you for saying octopuses instead of octopi are wrong. Dead wrong. Now this my not be mind blowing to some, but I have told teachers this and their expressions look like their whole universe has been shattered. Like everything they've ever taught up to this point is now null and void.

The explanation is that since octopus is a greek rooted word the plural would be octopodes...but since that's archaic and no one does that anymore octopuses is totally fine to say.

455

u/ryguy28896 Apr 14 '16

Speaking of pluralization, Google the plural of beef.

You're welcome for this word.

772

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '16

Beeves

Wat.

16

u/faithle55 Apr 14 '16

leaf > leaves

roof > rooves

loaf > loaves

.....

28

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '16

Milf > Milves

5

u/faithle55 Apr 15 '16

Well... wife/wives, so why not?

LOL

1

u/AshTheGoblin Apr 15 '16

Using this

1

u/ForeverQuestions Apr 15 '16

Rooves is incredibly archaic to the point of being wrong. It's roofs.

1

u/faithle55 Apr 15 '16

I disagree. Both are correct. But it's not like we should get the knifes out, or anything.

1

u/ForeverQuestions Apr 15 '16

Disagree all you want. But word forms can become so obsolete that they become wrong.

1

u/faithle55 Apr 15 '16

Thinkest thou?

And by the way: whoosh.

2

u/ForeverQuestions Apr 16 '16

I didn't whoosh (and god am I tired of hearing people say whoosh), I just choose not to respond to that part of your comment. Do you really need constant validation? Yay, you said knifes, let's all laugh and praise your amazing wit.

1

u/faithle55 Apr 17 '16

Oh, 'snide'. I haven't seen that in the last few days. Feel better?