# I thought "troop" was plural **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 15, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273 "2003-02-15T17:27:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/1 "2003-02-15T17:27:09Z")
This has confused me for a long time. The definitiion of “troop” is “a group of soldiers”… I don’t know of a typical size, but for the sake of numbers, let’s say that a troop is 100 soldiers. So “100 troops” would be 1,000 soldiers. So why is it that on the news and stuff, they always refer to soldiers individually as troops? If they say “100 troops” they mean 100 soldiers. I don’t get it, and it always makes me unsure what they are saying on the news. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/2 "2003-02-15T18:04:21Z")
It has two meanings (well, more than that, actually, but two in this context). It can mean a specific tactical group of soldiers (technically, a subdivision of a cavalry regiment). Or it can simply mean a number of individual soldiers, without regard to their actual tactical organization. Oddly, it doesn’t appear to be correct to refer to a single soldier as a “troop”. ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/3 "2003-02-15T19:46:12Z")
Bah. Let’s get rid of “troop” as a an official designation of a group all-together; from now on call them gaggles! ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/4 "2003-02-15T19:47:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ferrous \* > \*\*Oddly, it doesn’t appear to be correct to refer to a single soldier as a “troop”. \*\* Wouldn’t that be ‘trooper’? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/5 "2003-02-15T20:53:45Z")
“Troop” as referring to a singular soldier is Army jargon (and I think USMC as well). A troop is a specific formation of soldiers; formerly it was the cavalry detachment equivalent to a company in the infantry or artillery. It’s also a group of at least five Boy Scouts or eight Girl Scouts under the authority of a Scoutmaster or Girl Scout Leader, and is used metaphorically for a large group of people. (Source: Webster’s 3rd New International). As with all collective nouns, American usage is to consider it as always a singular: “The troop _was_ stationed at Fort Dodge,” while British usage considers it both singular or plural, according to whether the group taken as an entity or as a collection of individuals: “His Majesty’s 43rd Calvary Troop was the first formation in the majestic parade” but “The troop were scattered across the battlefield, with no hope of re-forming into a coherent fighting force.” ---
**Author:** ![IThinkNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ce73a5/32.png) [@IThinkNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IThinkNot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/6 "2003-02-15T21:00:02Z")
Are you sure you don’t mean _troupe_? That’s plural. Troop, with no ‘u’, means just the one. Therefore, you could have a _troupe_ of soldiers, comprised of 100 _troops_, with each soldier being one troop. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/7 "2003-02-15T21:23:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\*Wouldn’t that be ‘trooper’? \*\* Well, yes. I was just remarking on the oddity that you can say “troops” for a group, but not “troop” for an individual member of the group. Although **Poly** ’s dictionary says you can. My dictionary (Webster’s New World, 3rd Collegiate) disagrees, but it seems there are alternate views. _shrug_ Anyway, that sort of weirdness is what makes English fun. To me, anyway.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/8 "2003-02-15T21:46:32Z")
No, no, no, **Ferrous**. The only way in which “troops” is referring to a group of individual soldiers is by metonymy, where “troops” (=more than one troop of soliders) \> “troops” (=the armed forces collectively). An infantry battalion is composed of three companies; a cavalry battalion of three troops. – Which does not mean that there are only three mounted warriors in the division, but three smaller units comprise the one. “The troops are going overseas” is an example of that metonymy – a bunch of servicemen, who may or may not be organized into actual units called troops, are going overseas. (BTW, military buffs: what’s a company-sized armored group called? Sounds like “troop” would be the proper usage, since armor borrowed most of their other terminology from the cavalry.) ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/9 "2003-02-15T21:53:59Z")
IThinkNot: A _troop_ is composed of soldiers; a _troupe_ is composed of actors, dancers, circus performers, or what have you. You call a resilient person a trouper because their behaviour is based on “the show must go on”, more or less. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/10 "2003-02-15T22:01:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by IThinkNot \* > \*\*Are you sure you don’t mean _troupe_? That’s plural. . \*\* I hate to sound like a word Nazi, but I’m sure this is wrong. _Troupe_ is singular as in: “I got kicked out of the comedy troupe”. Plural is _troupes_ “How many of the troupes in this town can we get to perform that night for free, or at most a basket of fries and one beer? All of them? Great! Book 'em in.” ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/11 "2003-02-15T22:06:10Z")
Gotcha, **Poly**. I thought that by this… > [@](#): > > “Troop” as referring to a singular soldier is Army jargon (and I think USMC as well). …you were saying that “troop” is acceptable for a single soldier in Army jargon. Hmm…have you read any of the “Jurisdiction” series by Susan R. Matthews? She has her soldiers refer to themselves as “This troop…” She’s a former Army officer. Also, according to my dictionary, “troop” is indeed the armor equivalent of an infantry company. [sub]This is certainly my day for linguistics discussions. I’ve also been in one in the Pit and the Cafe.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/12 "2003-02-15T22:13:39Z")
There is no set term for every unit size. For example, company-sized tank units in Britain are _squadrons_, made up of _troops_ (platoon-sized units). In the US, I believe it’s companies made up of platoons (armour) and squadrons made up of troops (armoured cavalry). I could be wrong on the US terms, mind. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/13 "2003-02-15T22:22:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ferrous \* > \*\*Gotcha, **Poly**. I thought that by this… > …you were saying that “troop” is acceptable for a single soldier in Army jargon. > > Hmm…have you read any of the “Jurisdiction” series by Susan R. Matthews? She has her soldiers refer to themselves as “This troop…” She’s a former Army officer. > > Also, according to my dictionary, “troop” is indeed the armor equivalent of an infantry company. > > [sub]This is certainly my day for linguistics discussions. I’ve also been in one in the Pit and the Cafe.[/sub] \*\* Nice pickup. May I refer you to my comment above: > [@](#): > > “Troop” as referring to a singular soldier is Army jargon (and I think USMC as well). ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/14 "2003-02-15T22:37:07Z")
Okay, I’m confused. I’m really, truly not trying to fight with you **Poly**. I am not sure what you are trying to say. I saw your comment above, and acknowledged it, but then you seemed to contradict it. I may have misunderstood. Is it, or is it not acceptable to use “troop” for a single soldier? I’m _not_ trying to be argumentative here, or score points. I’m just curious. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/15 "2003-02-15T22:56:29Z")
From the Associated Press Stylebook: “A troop is a group of people or animals. _Troops_ refers to several such groups, particularly groups of soldiers. Use _troupe_ only for ensembles of actors, dancers, singers, etc.” That said, troops, referring to soldiers individually, is pretty common in newspapers, radio and TV, i.e., “5,000 troops headed to Gulf region” meaning 5,000 soldiers. Although _soldiers_ is more accurate, and _troop_ should be left for a group as the AP suggests to avoid the very confusion that we seem to be talking about here. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/16 "2003-02-16T01:00:31Z")
Ok so… using “troop” to mean an individual soldier is incorrect, but has passed into common usage in the US military? And they did it just to confuse and infuriate me? ---
**Author:** ![Bluesman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@Bluesman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluesman)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/17 "2003-02-16T01:33:59Z")
Also, “trooper” refers specifically to paratroops, cavalry (both air and armored) soldiers, and sometimes to soldiers that designate _themselves_ that way, such as ad hoc security units that accompany convoys and such. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-troop-was-plural/155273/18 "2003-02-16T05:01:53Z")
Troop {=single soldier} is not good general usage but is military jargon, “in” speech of the sort that would have had me, on this board, ensuring (particularly in a thread that **Opal** started, that the third definition of “troop” in a numbered list of them make some reference to her, or to ensure that everyone here realizes that the other employees of the company you work for are inclined to ork cows. 🙂