Pedants' Paradise

[oddoneout]

No-o-o-o-o ... because that would be even more confusing as it would confirm Zoe as more than one person. 'Zoe is an alumnae' would be wrong but at least it's obvious what is wrong.

Well it would be obvious only to the kind of readers who would already be struggling with the modern pronoun concept. I suspect most of the rest wouldn't have a clue about singular/plural forms of the word(or possibly even what it actually means) - and those who should know increasingly either don't, or choose not to.
I've just come across something else to put in the mix - alum/s or alumn/s as gender neutral alternatives. At least the second form would avoid confusion with chemical compounds although it looks odd as a spelling.

[french frank]

... as the man said, "I contain multitudes"

I think the difference may be in 'I contain multitudes'. I am one individual but I contain many others, whereas the possible 'Zoe are alumnae' would suggest that Zoe was [sic] a sorority, a collection of many individuals.

[Pulcinella]

Well it would be obvious only to the kind of readers who would already be struggling with the modern pronoun concept. I suspect most of the rest wouldn't have a clue about singular/plural forms of the word(or possibly even what it actually means) - and those who should know increasingly either don't, or choose not to.
I've just come across something else to put in the mix - alum/s or alumn/s as gender neutral alternatives. At least the second form would avoid confusion with chemical compounds although it looks odd as a spelling.

If you'd been to Columbia University, would you be a Column alumn?

[vinteuil]

I think the difference may be in 'I contain multitudes'. I am one individual but I contain many others, whereas the possible 'Zoe are alumnae' would suggest that Zoe was [sic] a sorority, a collection of many individuals.

... one is of course reminded of the concept of the Trinity - and also perhaps of colonial organisms such as the Portuguese Man o' War (Physalia physalis) and other members of the Siphonophorae...

[ from wiki -

"The man o' war is described as a colonial organism because the individual zooids in a colony are evolutionarily derived from either polyps or medusae, i.e. the two basic body plans of cnidarians. Both of these body plans comprise entire individuals in non-colonial cnidarians (for example, a jellyfish is a medusa, while a sea anemone is a polyp). All zooids in a man o' war develop from the same single fertilized egg and are therefore genetically identical. They remain physiologically connected throughout life, and essentially function as organs in a shared body. Hence, a Portuguese man o' war constitutes a single organism from an ecological perspective, but is made up of many individuals from an embryological perspective." ]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o%27_war

[Maclintick]

As a fully paid-up pedant, I was rather nonplussed, listening to R4's Broadcasting House this morning following events in Pennsylvania, to hear the estimable Paddy O'Connell refer to the victim of the attempted assassination as "President Trump". Of course, many aspects of public life and discourse are very different in the US from here in Britain -- "two nations divided by a common language" etc etc -- but I couldn't help thinking that a breach of broadcasting etiquette had occurred -- lèse-majesté in terms of an insult to the present incumbent of the office of President, and governing head of state.

[kernelbogey]

As a fully paid-up pedant, I was rather nonplussed, listening to R4's Broadcasting House this morning following events in Pennsylvania, to hear the estimable Paddy O'Connell refer to the victim of the attempted assassination as "President Trump". Of course, many aspects of public life and discourse are very different in the US from here in Britain -- "two nations divided by a common language" etc etc -- but I couldn't help thinking that a breach of broadcasting etiquette had occurred -- lèse-majesté in terms of an insult to the present incumbent of the office of President, and governing head of state.

In the US it's a courtesy title which (as you probably know) is extended to past presidents. But perhaps your comment nonetheless correctly addresses BBC/British usage.

[kernelbogey]

Photo caption in today's Sunday Times:

Zoe Hamburger, 39, is an alumnae of the Worldwide Hamburger Marketing University

No, she isn't. But at least they got the gender right, so someone tried....

Perhaps she hasn't yet graduated, and is potentially an alumna - hence the dative.....

[oddoneout]

... one is of course reminded of the concept of the Trinity - and also perhaps of colonial organisms such as the Portuguese Man o' War (Physalia physalis) and other members of the Siphonophorae...

[ from wiki -

"The man o' war is described as a colonial organism because the individual zooids in a colony are evolutionarily derived from either polyps or medusae, i.e. the two basic body plans of cnidarians. Both of these body plans comprise entire individuals in non-colonial cnidarians (for example, a jellyfish is a medusa, while a sea anemone is a polyp). All zooids in a man o' war develop from the same single fertilized egg and are therefore genetically identical. They remain physiologically connected throughout life, and essentially function as organs in a shared body. Hence, a Portuguese man o' war constitutes a single organism from an ecological perspective, but is made up of many individuals from an embryological perspective." ]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o%27_war

Seeing the Latin name of the Portuguese Man o' War puzzled me as I know Physalis as a group of plants, but apparently it's Greek for wrapper. The plant fruit is enclosed in a husk, and the Man o' War is a group under a canopy.
One lives and learns - certainly on this Forum.

[Old Grumpy]

Photo caption in today's Sunday Times:

Zoe Hamburger, 39, is an alumnae of the Worldwide Hamburger Marketing University

No, she isn't. But at least they got the gender right, so someone tried....

Had to look that one up - yes it really does exist...

...I guess the proof is really in the pudding - presumably a McFlurry

[Serial_Apologist]

THE PEDANTS' REVOLT

Wat Tyler: I thought I would have less followers than this.

The Crowd: Fewer!

[Serial_Apologist]

In some counties "they is" would be perfectly acceptable

In Bristol one used to hear "they'm", as in "That lot? they'm all right, reely".

[french frank]

THE PEDANTS' REVOLT

Wat Tyler: I thought I would have less followers than this.

The Crowd: Fewer!

Though, to be pedantic, this is actually John the Ball rather than Wat the Tyler:

[vinteuil]

In Bristol one used to hear "they'm", as in "That lot? they'm all right, reely".

... or (Devizes) - "that lot? they do be all right, (my lover)"

[vinteuil]

As a fully paid-up pedant, I was rather nonplussed....

... as a (non-paid) pedant I was alarmed to find that 'nonplussed' is in the process of changing its meaning. Apparently it can now 'mean' (pertick'ly in the US), rather than 'disconcerted' &c - 'unruffled, unconcerned' -

https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/nonplussed

This is just - what did Logan Pearsall Smith say?

The Spelling Lesson
The incident which had caused the laughter of those youngsters was not a thing to joke about. I expressed my conviction briefly; but the time-honoured word I made use of seemed unfamiliar to them;—they looked at each other and began whispering together. Then one of them asked in a hushed voice, 'It's what, did you say?'
I repeated my monosyllable loudly.
Again they whispered together, and again their spokesman came forward.
'Do you mind telling us how you spell it?'
'I spell it, I spell it with a W!', I shouted. 'W-R-O-N-G—WRONG!'






.

[LMcD]

I realize that they do have their own way in some respects with the German language in Vienna, but I don't think you'll hear 'Blut' pronounced 'Blutt', Petroc !