Would you say ... arm hair rose or arm hairs rose?

JulianneQJohnson

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If referring to an uncountable group, such as the hair on one's head (or arm, as the case may be), then one uses "hair." If it's a countable group, then one uses the plural "hairs." I found three grey hairs on my rabid wombat. The hair on my arm rose. Personally, I prefer "the hair on his arms rose" to "his arm hair rose."
 

Jason

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I think it depends on verb/subject agreement right?

The chill of the fog caused their arm hairs to rise

Their arm hair rose in response to the chilly fog
 

dpaterso

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The hairs on my forearms stood on end! This was a question with many answers!

-Derek
 

Jason

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Ahhh, but in Derek's case, the hairs stood. So would it be one where the general rule is:

  • hairs + past tense verb
  • hair + present tense?
 

Silva

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I'm glad other people have some ideas for you, because I was sitting over here trying to figure out how one would make roses out of arm hair. :roll:
 

BethS

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I'm sure I've seen both used, but I'm not sure which is correct.

Neither? I would say the hair on his arms rose, or something similar.

I think it's understood to refer to all the hair on his arms.
 
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Layla Nahar

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Hair is a non-count noun, like rice, water, salt, cheese (most of the ones popping into my head are food...). When we think of it as single items we say 'a strand OF hair', 'a piece OF rice' etc.

Non-count nouns are treated grammatically as single.

the hair on my arm rises when I get the creeps
the hair on my arm rose...
 

PastyAlien

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I keep reading it as: "arm chair(s) rose." I think because "arm hair rose" is so odd that my brain keeps trying to interpret it as something more plausible, such as rising arm chairs. :Wha: I dunno; probably some context would help, frex: "She placed her hand on the plasma globe and her arm hair rose." But that makes me think of armpit hair (sorry). So perhaps: "the hair on her arm rose." Yeah, that's the ticket.

An arm-hair rose, eh? That's like something the weird kid would give his crush in his formative years, before he turned serial killer. *backs away slowly*
 

Roxxsmom

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Ahhh, but in Derek's case, the hairs stood. So would it be one where the general rule is:

  • hairs + past tense verb
  • hair + present tense?

No, because in present tense, he could still write: The hairs on my forearm stand on end.

I don't think tense would affect the choice of whether we're talking about a collection of individual hairs or the hair as a collective. My hunch is that either is correct, and it's more a matter of style, emphasis, tone, and even just the flow of the sentence in question.
 

Jason

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Well there goes the verb tense theory LOL :)

Let the arm hair(s) debate continue
 

stormie

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I have to say, I also had to keep rereading the original question. Arm chairs with roses? Arm hairs rising in revolt?

Anyway, I'm just not crazy about any of the phrases. Maybe the hair on his arms rose.... But again, the verb "rose" reminds me of a flower growing on his arm.

Any other way you can show the character's reaction?
 

Fallen

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I'm sure I've seen both used, but I'm not sure which is correct.

Readers are familiar with certain patterns and sayings, so context can really help decide. E.g.,

I'm washing his hair v I'm washing his hairs. The second instantly looks odd, although it's saying practically the same thing. Here, though, readers are in constant contact with 'washing hair' not 'washing hairs', so the latter has that aytipical-usage feel with them.

Also:

He's splitting hairs v He's splitting hair. Splitting hairs is the known idiom (arguing over tiny details), 'split hair' is too ambiguous and alien to the reader when it comes showing arguing over those details: hairs would be the choice here.

With his 'arm hair rose' v 'arm hairs rose,' it's a conundrum. Mostly because they're showing the same action, but with two phrases that, right or wrong, are familiar to readers: his arm hair rose, his arm hairs rose. Both could potentially work, but the question is: should they work?

Whether in fiction or away from that in natural conversation, 'His arm hair rose' isn't really a familiar phrase on the ear, not compared to, say: 'the hair on his... *insert body part here* rose'. So the first sounds a little odd on the ear no matter how noun is worked.

I know that brings in questions on writing not being original if only familiar phrases are repeated, but sometimes once the familiar is known, that's when you can get creative and use it to suit your style:

His arm hair/s rose
The hair on his arm rose
The hair on his arm rose, shivered, then gleefully tried to leg it with a "Feck no, you're on your own here, mate" cry.

And so on until you get the right feel.
 

Southpaw

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Thanks everyone. It was bugging me. It was in something I was reading, and it perplexed me. I started wondering how it should be done. I think I like the hair on arms version too.
 

Roxxsmom

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I don't know the context, narrative viewpoint etc., but if you're mentioning arm hairs rising, I'm guessing you're doing so from the perspective of the person who feels this happening, not from someone observing his/her arm hair follicles standing in salute (it would be hard to see this happening, unless said character has very hairy arms).

If the character is cold, and you're describing his/her physical reaction to it, an alternative way might be to simply describe the prickling sensation that accompanies raised arm hairs/hair.

The hair follicles on her arm tingled.

or

Goose bumps prickled on his arms.

or

Her arms tingled as their fine hairs stood erect.

or something like that.

Even if it's due to static electricity or something, there's a sensation that accompanies the elevation of one's arm hair.
 
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