Somehow its plural form survived the lexical lobotomy that gripped English in the Middle Ages.Ī: Not at all. “Phenomenon” has Greek and Latin origins, and adding “s” for plurals was never cool in those languages. Q: So, why isn’t the plural of phenomenon “phenomenons”?Ī: Fair question. I always got stuck on Optimus Prime’s head… Q: I used to be able to solve those in under a minute. ![]() Other phenomena over the years have included Zhu Zhu Pets, Transformers and even Rubik’s Cube. Fidget spinners are just the latest phenomenon to hit toy stores. Q: So can you give me examples of using them correctly?Ī: Sure. But it’s a common mistake – referring to a singular “phenomenon” as the plural form “phenomena” instead. Q: My friend corrected me, saying they were actually a “phenomenon”. Well, these fidget spinner things have taken the world by storm, and I told my friend that it was quite a phenomena. Q: Do you mean like that time we talked about Pokemon Go?Ī: Yes. It’s fine now, but anyone reading back on our blog in a year’s time may not find it very relevant. Q: Well, I was talking with a friend yesterday and her 11-year-old is currently obsessed with “fidget spinners”.Ī: Well, you’ve gone and mentioned something topical. ![]() Q: Hi AWC – I have a question about “phenomena”.Ī: Do doo de-do-do de-do-do de-do-do de-do-do-do do do do-doo do.Ī: Sorry, it just reminded us of this muppets song. This week it's something like a phenomenon… It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. ![]()
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