# How do you form the plural of Blackberry **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 7, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654 "2009-05-07T14:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/41 "2009-05-08T04:03:51Z")
Of all BlackBerrys Halle is my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/42 "2009-05-08T13:50:38Z")
Consider the louse. If you have several of the insects, they are lice. If you have several of the disreputable people, they are louses. The “man of war/men of war” observation is interesting. I speculate that man/men may be a special case. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/43 "2009-05-08T15:11:23Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Read post 11. > > Thanks. > > ~Philster Post 11 read. Still disagree. Unless I was writing a formal presentation for acquisition. In any daily use (and my work involved BB support until fairly recently), the “device” word just isn’t used. (see my comment on the “block” in Lego Block) It’s Blackberrys. I think emails I’ve seen from RIM have also referenced it that way, though probably not “official emails/proposals.” ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/44 "2009-05-08T15:14:42Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > However, “Blackberry” is not a proper name. Without a capital letter, it’s the name of a kind of plant. I would support using “Blackberries” as the plural. Without a capital letter, my hypothetical friend’s hypothetical cat Whiskers is a bunch of specialized hairs. BlackBerry \*is \*a proper noun, regardless of what meaning “blackberry” may have. > [@Giles](#): > > However, you should say “shamans” and not “shamen”, because the “man” in “shaman” does not come from the same word “man”. Personally, I say “shammies,” but that’s because I play _World of Warcraft_. 😃 > [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > I suspect you will not find an opinion from RIM since they consider BlackBerry a brand name that should only be used as an adjective. What’s up with that, anyway? I understand not wanting to dilute the brand to the point where they lose their trademark, but I don’t see the problem with referring to a device manufactured by the BlackBerry company as a BlackBerry. Nobody freaks out if you call a Celica a Toyota instead of a Toyota vehicle. Just like nobody would think it strange to call someone named Angie Smith a Smith instead of a member of the Smith family. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/45 "2009-05-09T02:07:17Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > I I suspect you will not find an opinion from RIM since they consider BlackBerry a brand name that should only be used as an adjective. Apparently not. Just going onto the website, it’s trivially easy to find examples of “BlackBerry,” by itself, used as a noun. “…advanced technology that allows you to do more with your BlackBerry and get more out of your mobile life.” “Experience music on your BlackBerry.” “Like to play? So does your BlackBerry, let it have some fun.” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/46 "2009-05-09T02:23:07Z")
Deleted, accidental repost ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/47 "2009-05-09T05:09:37Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > What’s up with that, anyway? I understand not wanting to dilute the brand to the point where they lose their trademark, but I don’t see the problem with referring to a device manufactured by the BlackBerry company as a BlackBerry. I think they just want to be self-explanatory. I think a decent fraction of americans won’t know what a “Blackberry” is. Of course, that aim is ruined once they stop calling it a phone and call it a “device.” But how could it be any other way… it’s so much more than a ‘phone’! Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/48 "2009-05-09T09:57:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Shot From Guns** > What’s up with that, anyway? I understand not wanting to dilute the brand to the point where they lose their trademark, but I don’t see the problem with referring to a device manufactured by the BlackBerry company as a BlackBerry. Nobody freaks out if you call a Celica a Toyota instead of a Toyota vehicle. > [@RickJay](#): > > Apparently not. Just going onto the website, it’s trivially easy to find examples of “BlackBerry,” by itself, used as a noun. > > “…advanced technology that allows you to do more with your BlackBerry and get more out of your mobile life.” > > “Experience music on your BlackBerry.” > > “Like to play? So does your BlackBerry, let it have some fun.” Interesting. While there is no problem (as I understand it, which is obviously not very well) referring to a Celica as a Toyota, it would be a different thing to call any car a Toyota, because it replaces the noun (tissue) with the brand (Kleenex). For the BlackBerry site to use Blackberry as a stand-alone noun starts to cross that line and I’m surprised they don’t police it better. All smartphones are not BlackBerrys. Perhaps their legal peeps would take the position that on the BlackBerry site there is no chance of confusion. I’m reasonably sure they’d complain if Joe Congressman, anxious to show how hip he is, referred to his Palm Treo Pro running Windows Mobile smartphone as his BlackBerry… ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/49 "2009-05-09T12:47:22Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > Normal people say Legos. Only in America. While I wait for people from other parts of the world to correct me, I wondered what we used as the plural of Lego in the UK when I was a kid. The answer: Lego. Or Lego blocks or similar. “I am playing with my Lego.” “I have 500 Lego blocks/bricks/pieces.” We never said “Legos”. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/50 "2009-05-09T17:14:57Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Only in America. While I wait for people from other parts of the world to correct me, I wondered what we used as the plural of Lego in the UK when I was a kid. The answer: Lego. Or Lego blocks or similar. “I am playing with my Lego.” “I have 500 Lego blocks/bricks/pieces.” We never said “Legos”. Yes but these are the same people who feel Manchester United have won the game, aren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/51 "2009-05-09T19:27:31Z")
BlackBerry considers BlackBerries, BlackBerrys, and BlackBerry’s equally unacceptable for its licensees: > **[BlackBerry – Intelligent Security. Everywhere.](https://www.blackberry.com/us/en)** > > BlackBerry provides organizations and governments with the software and services they need to secure the Internet of Things. Learn how BlackBerry Cybersecurity powered by Cylance AI can protect your people, network, and data. Of course, you’re not obligated to follow their rules. [APStylebook.com](http://www.apstylebook.com/ask_editor.php) says “BlackBerrys, per the company’s usage,” but offers no cite. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/52 "2009-05-10T00:49:14Z")
[QUOTE=Chief Pedant] For the BlackBerry site to use Blackberry as a stand-alone noun starts to cross that line and I’m surprised they don’t police it better. All smartphones are not BlackBerrys. [/QUOTE] Well, yes, but all smartphones _referred to on their web site_ certainly are BlackBerrys. Why would they care that iPhones or Treos are not BlackBerrys? > [@amarone](#): > > Only in America. While I wait for people from other parts of the world to correct me, I wondered what we used as the plural of Lego in the UK when I was a kid. The answer: Lego. Or Lego blocks or similar. “I am playing with my Lego.” “I have 500 Lego blocks/bricks/pieces.” We never said “Legos”. Growing up in southern Ontario, it was always simply Lego. Two hundred peices of Lego were 200 Lego. I never saw the word “Legos” until fairly recently, and I have never heard a human being actually say “Legos.” ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/53 "2009-05-11T17:39:49Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > While there is no problem (as I understand it, which is obviously not very well) referring to a Celica as a Toyota, it would be a different thing to call any car a Toyota, because it replaces the noun (tissue) with the brand (Kleenex). For the BlackBerry site to use Blackberry as a stand-alone noun starts to cross that line and I’m surprised they don’t police it better. I’m not sure why you don’t see a problem with referring to a Celica as a Toyota but think that calling a BlackBerry smartphone a BlackBerry is a step down a slippery slope. Now, allowing \*another \*smartphone to be called a BlackBerry, that would be a problem. TBQH, I don’t think BlackBerry has achieved the Kleenex/Jell-O/Google/Photoshop level of brand-name generality yet, anyway. I don’t think I’ve heard anyone refer to any device as a BlackBerry that wasn’t actually a BlackBerry. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654/54 "2009-05-11T23:18:31Z")
Of course before you buy them they are Blackberry’s devices. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-form-the-plural-of-blackberry/495654.md?page=2)