Why not meese?
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The plural of tooth is teeth
The plural of goose is geese.
Why isn't the plural of moose meese?
Quote: billryanThe plural of foot is feet,
The plural of tooth is teeth
The plural of goose is geese.
Why isn't the plural of moose meese?
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Yesterday’s Jeopardy! right?
I love questions like this. Language is such a funny thing.
I also like how the meaning and imagery of phrases change over time.
The die is cast. Famous phrase supposedly uttered by Caesar in reference to crossing the Rubicon (which itself becomes another famous phrase).
A modern person may think of a die tumbling through the air. The outcome is still undetermined as the die spins.
A person back in Roman times would have played dice games with a cup. So the cup would be turned over. The die would be settled and the outcome determined, but not yet known because the cup covers the die.
Subtly different meaning.
Though in this case “the die is cast” turns out to be a mistranslation of what Caesar supposedly said. The more accurate translation is “let the die be cast”, which means a completely different third thing. Let’s take a chance and play the game.
Quote: billryanThe plural of foot is feet,
The plural of tooth is teeth
The plural of goose is geese.
Why isn't the plural of moose meese?
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One mouse, two mice.
One house, two hice.
One spouse, two spice?
Quote: gordonm888We hold these treeth to be self-evident . . .
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Thank you, sir.
I shall have medial S's on the brain for the next 75 hours.
Quote: unJonhttps://www.languagepacifica.com/post/all-geese-and-no-meese
I love questions like this. Language is such a funny thing.
I also like how the meaning and imagery of phrases change over time.
The die is cast. Famous phrase supposedly uttered by Caesar in reference to crossing the Rubicon (which itself becomes another famous phrase).
A modern person may think of a die tumbling through the air. The outcome is still undetermined as the die spins.
A person back in Roman times would have played dice games with a cup. So the cup would be turned over. The die would be settled and the outcome determined, but not yet known because the cup covers the die.
Subtly different meaning.
Though in this case “the die is cast” turns out to be a mistranslation of what Caesar supposedly said. The more accurate translation is “let the die be cast”, which means a completely different third thing. Let’s take a chance and play the game.
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Because of my Dads work, I attended two high schools. In my Freshman and half my Senior year I attended a private Boys' Catholic school, but my middle years were spent in a public school.
In Catholic school, we were taught JCs words had an entirely different meaning. When you make coins, you cast a die and when you are finished, they break the die so you can't use it anymore. So we were taught that by JC coming to the Rubicon, he had an irreversible decision. If he crossed the river, he would either be victorious or he'd be dead. In other words- his decision was final and set in stone. Thus, the die is cast. Not a word about gambling.
Quote: unJon
A modern person may think of a die tumbling through the air. The outcome is still undetermined as the die spins.
A person back in Roman times would have played dice games with a cup. So the cup would be turned over. The die would be settled and the outcome determined, but not yet known because the cup covers the die.
Subtly different meaning.
link to original post
The only way I have ever understood this phrase is the second meaning.
"The die is cast," i.e., the decision is over. The die can not be unrolled.
Quote: billryan
Why isn't the plural of moose meese?
Mr. Jinks from the old Huckleberry Hound cartoons - but that was the plural of mice - not moose
.
Quote: unJon
A modern person may think of a die tumbling through the air.
"Oh my, my, my, I'm the lone crap shooter
Playin' the field ev'ry night
Baby, I can't stay
You got to roll me and call me the tumblin' dice (Call me the tumblin')
Got to roll me (ya yes), got to roll me, got to roll me (Oh yeah)"
.
