# It's not mouses or mice, dammit! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 5, 2002, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337 "2002-05-05T02:15:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/41 "2002-05-06T18:55:46Z")
::: places Band-Aid brand adhesive bandage on **scott evil** ’s boo-boo ::: ::: takes Tylenol brand analgesic non-aspirin pain reliever to get over headache occasioned from reading thread ::: ::: presses “Submit Reply” button to submit response to Straight Dope brand\* internet message board ::: [sub]“Straight Dope” is a registered trademark of the Chicago Reader, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarked names in this post are used in the format preferred by their owners to the best of this poster’s knowledge. Not valid where prohibited by law, or in the Province of Quebec.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/42 "2002-05-06T19:57:57Z")
Mouse devices? PHBBBBT! The day you (or Microsoft, or Apple) require me to say or write that anywhere, I shall demand all of you use the following plural conventions: keyboard widgets monitor doo-hickies printer thing-a-ma-bobs power cord cords mouse pad devices facsimile machine phones automotive machines etc. Evil, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/43 "2002-05-06T21:07:03Z")
Have I just dated myself. The only thing that kept running through my head reading this thread was: > [@](#): > > I hate mices\* to pieces \*pronounced: ‘mieces’ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/44 "2002-05-06T22:11:06Z")
What’s the plural of ‘Anal person’? ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/45 "2002-05-06T23:46:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*What’s the plural of ‘Anal person’? \*\* A “hatfull of assholes,” or so I’m told. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/46 "2002-05-07T05:41:23Z")
> [@](#): > > See, though…most people don’t write user manuals. Write 'em? Hell, most people don’t even read them. You can pluralize “mouse” as “sabre-toothed platypi” for all the rest of the world will ever know. We’ll all just sail on in blissful ignorance, calling them “mices” and annoying your support department. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/47 "2002-05-07T12:17:38Z")
::Looks at bottom of Logitech thingy-with-ball-and-buttons-and-cord-that-connects-to-the-computer:: ::Reads the words “Logitech Marble Mouse”:: ::Notes total absence of word “Device”:: ::shrug:: Good enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/48 "2002-05-07T12:56:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > \*\* > > You can pluralize “mouse” as “sabre-toothed platypi” \*\* You know, that is the best solution I have heard yet. From now on, I will use “sabre-toothed platypi” anytime I need to refer to more than one mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Syzygy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Syzygy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syzygy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/49 "2002-05-08T22:25:12Z")
I will never use “mouse device,” as it is too long and I’m lazy. I will not use “mouses” because it wasn’t a word before they came along, whereas “mice” was. One syllable, easy to understand, doesn’t sound ignorant (mouses?), so I’ll stick with “mice.” BTW, I’ve never seen the word “realtime” in print. As a matter of fact, the dictionaries I consulted didn’t have it at all. They referred me to “real-time,” the way I’ve always seen it. I do agree, however, that it should only be used as an adjective. You can’t do something in real-time. And the plural of “touchpad” is “maddeningly twitchy poorly-conceived fingertip-operated devices.” Argh. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/50 "2002-05-08T23:55:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Syzygy \* > \*\*And the plural of “touchpad” is “maddeningly twitchy poorly-conceived fingertip-operated devices.” Argh. \*\* So what’s the plural for c-mouse? ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/51 "2002-05-09T00:24:45Z")
May I have two mouses, err, two mice, err, a couple of mouse devices … err … May I please have a mouse? PS. May I please have another one? ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/52 "2002-05-09T00:55:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Syzygy \* > **BTW, I’ve never seen the word “realtime” in print. As a matter of fact, the dictionaries I consulted didn’t have it at all. They referred me to “real-time,” the way I’ve always seen it. I do agree, however, that it should only be used as an adjective. You can’t do something in real-time.** The jury’s out on the adjective form of “real-time” or “realtime.” I’m not surprised you’ve never seen it in print, but in our documentation, “realtime” is an adjective. (E.g. “realtime editing.”) I happen to know that Apple and other companies use the hyphenated form “real-time,” which would be acceptable, given it’s a compound adjective. However, one cannot “edit in real-time.” In this case “real” qualifies “time.” Just how “mouse” qualifies “devices.” (But that’s been beaten into the ground in this thread, in spite of both the Apple and Microsoft Style Guides, so let’s **forget it, already.** Ugh. :rolleyes: - s.e. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/53 "2002-05-09T01:12:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scott evil \* > \*\* > , in spite of both the Apple and Microsoft Style Guides, > > - s.e. \*\* Which we have already covered that they do not have the right to say which is correct, as they did not event mice. The inventer of the mouse, calls more than one of them mice…He invented it, so he gets to say…Microsoft and Apple are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/54 "2002-05-09T01:35:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bdgr \* > \*\*Which we have already covered that they do not have the right to say which is correct, as they did not event mice. The inventer of the mouse, calls more than one of them mice…He invented it, so he gets to say…Microsoft and Apple are wrong. \*\* Right or wrong (look, I think “mouse devices” is annoying as well), there are usage standards that exist and **that I have to follow as a professional technical writer in the high-tech industry**. I’ve only ever had to use the term “mouse devices” once, when documenting Macintosh mouse devices having one button as opposed to PC/Microsoft MICE 😉 having two. It comes up rarely. I don’t care what you call them. I just have to do my job and do it well, thank-you-very-much. 🙂 **Die, thread, die!** - s.e. - s.e. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/55 "2002-05-09T04:33:09Z")
You started it… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/56 "2002-05-09T04:57:55Z")
I don’t know, Scott, it sounds sort of like the Nuremburg defense to me: “I vus chust followink usage standards.” ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/57 "2002-05-09T13:21:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*I don’t know, Scott, it sounds sort of like the Nuremburg defense to me: “I vus chust followink usage standards.” \*\* Good one! 😃 - s.e. ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/58 "2002-05-09T16:49:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Syzygy \* > \*\*You can’t do something in real-time. > \*\* Are you talking about Zeno’s Paradox? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337/59 "2002-05-09T22:55:21Z")
What, out of interest, is the plural of Sony Walkman? [sub]Sony Walkman Stereophonic Mobile Personal Music Listening Entertainment Devices?[/sub] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-mouses-or-mice-dammit/107337.md?page=2)