# Poll: Better fighter? 42 midgets or an African Lion. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 17, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-better-fighter-42-midgets-or-an-african-lion/304284 "2005-05-17T19:14:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-better-fighter-42-midgets-or-an-african-lion/304284/21 "2005-05-18T14:29:08Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Tolkien’s foreword to _The Hobbit_ does not agree with you. [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) does. wiki says this > [@](#): > > Traditionally, the plural of dwarf was “dwarfs”, especially when referring to actual humans with dwarfism, but ever since J. R. R. Tolkien used dwarves in his fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings, the plural forms “dwarfs” and “dwarves” have been used interchangeably. I don’t have an OED in front of me, only a computer so I’m all out of bullets on the dwarfs/dwarves issue. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-better-fighter-42-midgets-or-an-african-lion/304284/22 "2005-05-18T15:07:14Z")
Bah. You’d think dictionaries would work to eradicate barbarisms, not perpetuate them. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-better-fighter-42-midgets-or-an-african-lion/304284/23 "2005-05-18T15:39:56Z")
No, I thought they were relying ont he lions to take out the barbarisms. 42 at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-better-fighter-42-midgets-or-an-african-lion/304284/24 "2005-05-18T16:15:35Z")
Based on what occured, it seems probable that they midget ninjas and it was a pirate lion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-better-fighter-42-midgets-or-an-african-lion/304284.md?page=1)