SPECIAL TUESDAY GRAMMAR RODEO (WHOPPERS JUNIOR DIVISION): Those of you with long memories will note that today's Mardi Gras marks the 10th such celebration since Philadelphia's 2001 Mardi Gras riots, chronicled on our pages in 2003 and preserved on YouTube as well.
But I couldn't help but wonder: what's the plural of Mardi Gras? If I wanted to say "I still can't believe what happened ten [MGs] ago," what term would I use? Mardis Gras? Mardi Grases? Something else?
You're talking about a French phrase, so stick with the French pluralization rules: Mardis Gras.
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago on Mardi Gras.
ReplyDelete"Fat Tuesdays." C'est plus simple.
ReplyDeleteIf something happened 10 years ago today, would you say it happened 10 March 8ths ago or ten years ago on March 8? I'd just go with 10 years ago.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but that's the problem here -- Mardi Gras isn't on a fixed calendar date.
ReplyDeleteI'd have thought you'ld pluralize the noun (Mardis Gras) rather that the adjective (Mardi Grases). I'd use Fat Tuesdays for the English, not Fats Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteLuck
But there's only one Mardi Gras per year, right?
ReplyDeleteIn other words, reword the sentence rather than figure out a plural.<span> </span>
ReplyDeleteAnd since it's still pronounced the same, your life doesn't change a whit! Score one for the mumbling French!
ReplyDelete