atw: Re: Microsoft Manual of Style
- From: Robert Levy <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:34:21 +1100
Incidentally, can you show evidence that more people say "mouses" than "mice"?
rwl
On 10/02/2012, at 10:22 PM, Robert Levy wrote:
> Everyone counts! I'm not the one saying that anyone else is wrong, and
> neither is Microsoft. Both are just fine. You said that one way is wrong.
>
> It's not a circular argument. It's a description of how language works. I
> wouldn't have said it if only two people use a word in a way that no one else
> understands. But when millions use it that way, and are understood by
> millions more, then it's part of the language.
>
> There's no point saying that English doesn't use a construction that it quite
> obviously does. At least, the way that I define English. I don't know how you
> define it, of course.
>
> rwl
>
> On 09/02/2012, at 11:27 PM, Ken Randall wrote:
>
>>
>> Who made up that rule and why should the millions of people who say "mice"
>> in this context care?
>>
>> Why should the hundreds of millions who do follow the rule not count?
>>
>>
>> Those people are proof that in English, some inanimate objects indeed do use
>> the "ice" plural.
>>
>> That is a circular argument - I break the rule so there is no rule.
>>
>>
>> --- On Thu, 9/2/12, Robert Levy <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> From: Robert Levy <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Subject: atw: Re: Microsoft Manual of Style
>> To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Received: Thursday, 9 February, 2012, 9:16 PM
>>
>> Who made up that rule and why should the millions of people who say "mice"
>> in this context care?
>>
>> Those people are proof that in English, some inanimate objects indeed do use
>> the "ice" plural.
>>
>> rwl
>>
>> On 09/02/2012, at 9:01 PM, Ken Randall wrote:
>>
>>> Furthermore, the "ice" plural e.g. mouse & mice, louse & lice, is only used
>>> for
>>> biological creatures, so it is incorrect to use it for an inanimate object.
>>>
>>> --- On Thu, 9/2/12, Howard Silcock <howard.silcock@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>> From: Howard Silcock <howard.silcock@xxxxxxxxx>
>>> Subject: atw: Microsoft Manual of Style
>>> To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Received: Thursday, 9 February, 2012, 10:39 AM
>>>
>>> To anyone still reading this list ...
>>>
>>> Some of you may know that the most recent version of the Microsoft® Manual
>>> of Style was recently published. I bought myself a Kindle version for
>>> $9.99. Some people would probably have nothing to do with a Microsoft
>>> publication, but I've always found their advice very sensible and they've
>>> made a serious attempt to standardise terminology relating to user
>>> interfaces, which was badly needed.
>>>
>>> I was interested to read what they said about mouse terminology. We had a
>>> protracted discussion about the plural of 'mouse' on this list some years
>>> ago, in which I railed against the word 'mouses'. Microsoft always
>>> advocated using 'mouse devices', which I thought was a bit silly, but still
>>> better than 'mouses'. Well, now they appear to have shifted a little bit,
>>> as the new Manual of Style says 'use mouse devices if you can. Otherwise,
>>> use mice.'
>>>
>>> As they say, a small step for Man. Or Mouse?
>>>
>>> Howard
>>>
>>
>
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