debka_notion: (Default)
debka_notion ([personal profile] debka_notion) wrote2004-04-20 05:33 pm

Seasonal Word Abuse

TOmorrow is the day when we get tons upon tons of prefrosh. And I'm seeing interesting things done with the word, which is an odd enough one already (and I'm procrastinating)... SO, it started out as pre-freshman. The alternate flural for freshmen is, apparently frosh. So the plural of prefreshman is prefrosh. That said, presumably the sigular should be prefr esh, which I've heard, but which sounds weird. So now prefrosh is both plural and singular. ANd now I'm hearing prefroshes, which just seems redundant.

[identity profile] bobtheslinky.livejournal.com 2004-04-20 04:30 pm (UTC)(link)
FISHIES!
But would that make the prefreshman prefish, or prefishies, or maybe guppies?

[identity profile] fleurdelis28.livejournal.com 2004-04-20 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I've seen "frosh" used in the singular before. In print, no less. Granted, in a poem in a book of goofy math jokes, but why would they lie?

[identity profile] tirerim.livejournal.com 2004-04-20 07:56 pm (UTC)(link)
And then, of course, there is the ever-popular 'froshlings', though I've never heard 'prefroshlings'. But we don't call them prefrosh, we just call them specs, even if they've already decided.

[identity profile] debka-notion.livejournal.com 2004-04-20 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
OH yes, I remember visiting there and being called both a spec and a speckie. THe only thing I've heard ending with a -ling at Brandeis is BORGling, I think.