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To: Western Phil
I’ve always heard them pluralized as titmice, being the child of avid amateur birdwatchers.
To: Western Phil
Lost me at global warming
3 posted on
12/20/2017 7:04:20 AM PST by
stanne
To: Western Phil
4 posted on
12/20/2017 7:05:06 AM PST by
ButThreeLeftsDo
(Merry Christmas, Mr. President, and another happy year!)
To: Western Phil
5 posted on
12/20/2017 7:06:00 AM PST by
Texas Eagle
(If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
To: Western Phil
“mouses”...if you say “mice”, it implies little rodents.
6 posted on
12/20/2017 7:06:07 AM PST by
gr8eman
(Facts and evidence are bourgeois constructs weaponized by patriarchal penis-people)
To: Western Phil
7 posted on
12/20/2017 7:06:19 AM PST by
arthurus
(Q)
To: Western Phil
8 posted on
12/20/2017 7:06:45 AM PST by
mewzilla
(Was Obama surveilling John Roberts? Might explain a lot.)
To: Western Phil
Tufted titmouses....................
9 posted on
12/20/2017 7:06:57 AM PST by
Red Badger
(Road Rage lasts 5 minutes. Road Rash lasts 5 months!.....................)
To: Western Phil
10 posted on
12/20/2017 7:07:18 AM PST by
arthurus
(Q)
To: Western Phil
11 posted on
12/20/2017 7:07:23 AM PST by
Red Badger
(Road Rage lasts 5 minutes. Road Rash lasts 5 months!.....................)
To: Western Phil
That would be a “pair of tits” Phil.
To: Western Phil
Don’t worry about the birds, you have a bigger problem with compound words.
To: Western Phil
but due to global warming and the fact that Atlanta and Long Island have been hogging all our snow
Early indication to stop reading, as everything else that follows is suspect nonsense.
18 posted on
12/20/2017 7:10:27 AM PST by
PIF
(They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
To: Western Phil
20 posted on
12/20/2017 7:10:41 AM PST by
deport
To: Western Phil
24 posted on
12/20/2017 7:13:05 AM PST by
Babwa
To: Western Phil
Make it simple, just call them two boobies......
25 posted on
12/20/2017 7:13:11 AM PST by
Hot Tabasco
(My cat is not fat, she is just big boned........)
To: Western Phil
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/titmouse
Merriam-Webster gives "titmice", but purists argue that the "mouse" in "titmouse" is unrelated to the word "mouse".
Origin and Etymology of titmouse
by folk etymology from Middle English titmose, from *tit any small object or creature + mose titmouse, from Old English māse; akin to Old High German meisa titmouse
Origin and Etymology of mouse
Middle English, from Old English mūs; akin to Old High German mūs mouse, Latin mus, Greek mys mouse, muscle
So "titmouse" is a compound of older words for "little" or "wee" and "titmouse". The root of titmouse coming from the Old English "mose", the root of mouse coming from Old English "mūs". The modern dictionary plural respects the folk etymology making it titmice, though there is no etymological justification for the irregular plural.
To: Western Phil
I can’t get beyond wondering why you would name anything a tit-mouse.
To: Western Phil
I have heard people use the singular as plural- two tufted titmouse. one can’t avoid sounding awkward. Titmouses sounds the most awkward and titmice would elicit a bit of a smirk. “Those birds” avoids all that but is less explicit than sometimes necessary. I would go with “titmice” though I also tend to use “meese” to pluralize moose. Grice?
30 posted on
12/20/2017 7:18:56 AM PST by
arthurus
To: Western Phil
Saw some at our feeder this week. Had to look it up.
31 posted on
12/20/2017 7:19:12 AM PST by
csvset
( Illegitimi non carborundum)
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