# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 5846

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**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5846 "2025-02-25T18:06:40Z")

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Steven Pinker explained this as a manifestation of the English grammar rule that _headless compound nouns do not take irregular plurals_. A headless compound noun is one that refers to an object that cannot be referred to by the last noun alone. For example, a mailman can also be referred to as a man, so it is not headless. But a Walkman cannot be referred to as a man, so it is headless and its plural is not Walkmen (for most people; I did a [poll](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/3982) about it a couple of years ago). Likewise, when I talk about all the maple leaves in my yard, each one is not only a maple leaf but is also a leaf, so I can use the irregular plural. But when I talk about Toronto Maple Leafs, each one is a Maple Leaf but is not a leaf, so I use the regular plural.

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