My Bellows Is Fine

[Chris Partti]

This singular definition of bellows is troublesome. It looks like it is improper to refer to a "bag bellows," which should be called just a "bag" (no folds). And if you have one of these and a regular bellows, are they bellowses?

[pat krentz]

All the elucidation has been very aluminating. Pat

[Paul Schilliger]

Being of foreign mother tongue, no wonder I agonized over this issue!

[John H. Henderson]

...And "fish" is plural if you're referring to a number of them of unspecified species, but you use "fishes" to refer to multiple species. Or something like that.

And "cow" can either refer to the species, or refer only to the female of the species "cattle." Interestingly, there is no singular form of "cattle."

[Linas Kudzma]

Hey, at least you know that it's a bellows. There's a guy who often posts on ebay (I think he buys and resells restored view cameras) who CONSISTENTLY calls them "billows". I find this quite funny. Yeah, I know, I'm easily amused.

[Matt Long]

Of Cows and Bellows -- While the word "cow" is the term for the female of the bovine species (as well as a few others), you would get a few raised eyebrows, even here in Montana, if you exclaimed to a rancher, "My, you sure have a lot of bovines in your field!" Now bellows is another matter, although bovines are known to bellow. Using my Montana guide to linguistics, I suggest using the term "stretchy thingamajiggy" when referring to this camera part in order to avoid confusion with loud cows. Matt.

[Doug Paramore]

Matt: If you have more than one, would it be "stretchy thingamajiggys" or "stretchy thingamajiggies"? I never can keep it straight. Thanks for the research in your Montana Linguistics.

Regards,

[pat krentz]

"Stretchy thingamajiggy" if applied to male anatomy would be singular. Pat

[Paul Schilliger]

Pat, you are too funny!

[Steve Clark]

For those of you that are confused as to why pants are named as such, have a look at the "Rolling Stone" cover that features Britney Spears...