Is s's correct??? Looks very funny

Bluebug32 · Sep 9, 2008

I'm trying to write this sentence:

Dessert is spelled with two s’s, dammit!

How do I do the whole pluralized s part? I feel like this looks very strange.

Bufty · Sep 9, 2008

"Dessert is spelled with two 's's, dammit!"

Bluebug32 said:
I'm trying to write this sentence:

Dessert is spelled with two s’s, dammit!

How do I do the whole pluralized s part? I feel like this looks very strange.

Ms Hollands · Sep 9, 2008

Dessert is spelled with a double 's', damnit!

maestrowork · Sep 9, 2008

The a's and b's and c's. The p's and q's. So I think the s's is correct.

dpaterso · Sep 9, 2008

Dessert is spelled with two esses, dammit!

-Derek

KTC · Sep 9, 2008

dpaterso said:
Dessert is spelled with two esses, dammit!

-Derek

Yep.

maestrowork · Sep 9, 2008

'Em better be esses than asses, I'd say.

Bufty · Sep 9, 2008

There's haitches so I guess there's also esses. Or asses with itches or...itches...

Ms Hollands · Sep 10, 2008

Regardless of which one is right, they all look a bit awkward, I feel. How about:

'Dessert' has more than one 's', damnit!

...or...

'Dessert' is spelled with another 's', dammit!

...or...

'Dessert' is spelled with a second 's', dammit!

dpaterso · Sep 10, 2008

Agreed, they do look awkward as written, but that is how people would say the line... and we can't make dialogue sound unnatural just 'cause we don't know how to write it.

-Derek

Ms Hollands · Sep 10, 2008

Yes, I agree, although I don't think the first one sounds unnatural (or the sentence I wrote earlier in this thread). The second two were more in keeping with the original sentence as I don't like altering original sentences that aren't mine too much when the person asking for help hasn't wanted a re-write, but I don't like them as much as my other two. :O)

Priene · Sep 10, 2008

Collins Concise doesn't have either es or ess as a word. Dictionary.com does, though.

Ms Hollands · Sep 10, 2008

Fowler's Modern blah blah doesn't have it listed, but in the spelling section, letters are written like this:

appalling two ps, two ls
dissipate two s's, one p
embarrass two rs, two s's

etc.

Is s's correct??? Looks very funny

Bluebug32

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Ms Hollands

Cow lover

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Ms Hollands

Cow lover

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

Ms Hollands

Cow lover

Priene

Out to lunch

Ms Hollands

Cow lover