# You're annoying me with your jokey faux Latinate plurals **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2010, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840 "2010-07-07T12:42:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/1 "2010-07-07T12:42:14Z")
… Especially when you get them wrong. “Be sure to pick up a copy of the syllabi” calls for the singular not the plural. And the faux Latinate plural of Elvis should be Elves, not Elvi or Elvii. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/2 "2010-07-07T13:44:33Z")
i am guilty of this _looks sheepish_ - but really only when talking about virii. Dont know why i like that so much, but i do. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/3 "2010-07-07T13:51:46Z")
\ ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/4 "2010-07-07T14:30:11Z")
Sort of on the same note _alumni_ is the plural, people. You are not “an alumni”. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/5 "2010-07-07T14:39:55Z")
I refer to myself as an alumnuts ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/6 "2010-07-07T14:52:59Z")
suck my penii. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/7 "2010-07-07T14:58:34Z")
kiss my buttockia ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/8 "2010-07-07T14:59:10Z")
octopodes ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/9 "2010-07-07T15:10:11Z")
Do you need some Kleenices to wipe up your tears? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/10 "2010-07-07T15:12:37Z")
One of my favorite 1960s TV commercials featured an animated stewardess saying she was “just one of those worn-out stewardi”. Very clever, and I wonder how many folks got it. > [@](#): > > Do you need some Kleenices to wipe up your tears? I think the ibices might need them. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/11 "2010-07-07T15:21:19Z")
Oh, dogfex! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/12 "2010-07-07T16:31:26Z")
My only problem with these is that if they were ever funny, they’re not anymore. They only work on words that are sort of believably Latin, and at this point you see them on almost any plural, so there’s no joke. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/13 "2010-07-07T16:36:45Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > My only problem with these is that if they were ever funny, they’re not anymore. They only work on words that are sort of believably Latin, and at this point you see them on almost any plural, so there’s no joke. **Marley23** , why do you need to rain on my paradii? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/14 "2010-07-07T16:45:09Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > And the faux Latinate plural of Elvis should be Elves, not Elvi or Elvii. Irregardless of typii, how would one refer to misters Presley and Costello? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/15 "2010-07-07T16:59:22Z")
The Elves of rock. \ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/16 "2010-07-07T17:05:11Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > You’re annoying me with your jokey faux Latinate plurals. You can take my from plurali from my cold dead handae. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/17 "2010-07-07T17:06:59Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Irregardless of typii, how would one refer to misters Presley and Costello? Overrated? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/18 "2010-07-07T17:08:07Z")
Whatever. “Priscilla and the Thirteen Dancing Elves” is not at all funny, and conjures pictures of kelly green tights and pointy slippers. “Priscilla and the Thirteen Dancing Elvi” is freaking hilarious, and conjures pictures of white glittery jumpsuits and faux fur sideburns. As it should. . . I’m just saying. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/19 "2010-07-07T17:12:31Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > “Priscilla and the Thirteen Dancing Elvi” is freaking hilarious And it’s exactly as hilarious as “Priscilla and the Thirteen Dancing Elvises,” which is the actual plural. The fakey plural doesn’t add anything. Marley’s right, if it ever was funny, it ain’t anymore. Plus, it’s annoying. And I just learned something because of Raventhief – “Virus” doesn’t have a separate plural form in Latin, because it’s a mass noun. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840/20 "2010-07-07T17:28:19Z")
If enough of us use them often enough, they cease to be “faux” and become recognized, accepted plurals. The language is ever-changing. Sucketh to be thou, in that case. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-annoying-me-with-your-jokey-faux-latinate-plurals/545840.md?page=2)