atw: Re: Microsoft Manual of Style
- From: Robert Levy <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:22:02 +1100
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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