Scales- plural?

[ozchick]

The rooster asked if we had a scale so that he could check his weight.
I told him no and that I might "go and by some" because he's mentioned this before.
He then replied, "we only need ONE- why are you saying some when it's only one thing?"
His English is SO good and when these unusual words come up I start to question the language too. Why do we say scales with an 'S' at the end? It's because it's a set of scales yeah? And yet it's not a set really...it's only ONE thing...mm...time for chocolate after all this cerebral activity......

[bigfilsing]

good question.

I've always used " A set of scales"

I think scaleS refers to the fact that there are multiple scales ( kilos and grams for example) not sure thou.

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When i reached my 40th ( mid life crisis) birthday my wife asked me what i wanted as a present. Being a smart arse i replied "something that goes from naught to 100 in 3 seonds"
She bought me bathroom scales

[sundaymorningstaple]

Actually he is correct. It is called a scale and not a set of scales.

http://www.physlink.com/estore/cart/Min ... eScale.cfm

http://www.meridianscale.com/

Scales refers to more than one.

[dazzlebabe]

Ozchick, we could be married to the same species. The Language Detective aka Anal Retentive English Guru!

I've always said scaleS and nobody has corrected me before.

I refer to my one pair of Sunglass as Sunglasses as in "Opps, must not forget my sunglasses" even though I only mean the one pair.

[bigfilsing]

Actually he is correct. It is called a scale and not a set of scales.

http://www.physlink.com/estore/cart/Min ... eScale.cfm

http://www.meridianscale.com/

Scales refers to more than one.

and most weighing devices have more than one scale ( kilos, grams etc)
http://www.fotosearch.com/DSN008/1774816/

And if you want an excuse for the afternoon off with a splitting headache read this forum

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=242839

[TommyD]

apparently both are correct

scale2  /skeɪl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [skeyl] Show IPA noun, verb, scaled, scal⋅ing.
–noun 1. Often, scales. a balance or any of various other instruments or devices for weighing: We gave the parents a baby scale. The butcher placed the meat on the scales.
2. Also called scalepan. either of the pans or dishes of a balance.
3. Scales, Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign of Libra; Balance.

–verb (used with object) 4. to weigh in or as if in scales.
5. to have a weight of.

—Idioms6. tip the scale or scales, a. to weigh: He tips the scales at 190 lbs.
b. to turn the trend of favor, control, etc.: The present crisis should tip the scales for our candidate.

7. turn the scale or scales, to decide in favor of one side or faction; determine the outcome: It would take a miracle to turn the scales for us now.


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Origin:
1175–1225; ME < ON skālar (pl.), c. OE scealu scale (of a balance)

[cbavasi]

I refer to my one pair of Sunglass as Sunglasses as in "Opps, must not forget my sunglasses" even though I only mean the one pair.

I always say "sunglasses" for one pair. As I would "glasses" for a single pair of frames. Wouldn't you assume there are two lenses so that is the plural of the single glass?

[littlegreenman]

I refer to my one pair of Sunglass as Sunglasses as in "Opps, must not forget my sunglasses" even though I only mean the one pair.

I always say "sunglasses" for one pair. As I would "glasses" for a single pair of frames. Wouldn't you assume there are two lenses so that is the plural of the single glass?

Agreed, some as trousers/pants. Although it is one, it has two legs.

Never said scales before though (Must be that the colonials got mixed up hehe. Just kidding )

[cbavasi]

Agreed, some as trousers/pants. Although it is one, it has two legs.

Never said scales before though (Must be that the colonials got mixed up hehe. Just kidding )

Or "maths" in the UK... I'd never heard that before - I'd always referred to it as "math" but sort of makes sense. On the trousers/pants thing... when I went to work in the UK I'd mistakenly exclaimed to an entirely male office on a rainy day that my "pants were all wet" and couldn't figure out why they were all snickering

[ozchick]

Fascinating stuff ! And what about scissors and pliers and tweezers? They in English are 'pairs but apparently according to inside info, these are referred to as singular in Germanic languages. Mm..yet English isn't consistent- take for example 'the humble clothes peg'...it's not a 'pair' and so yeah this has come from dolly pegs? maybe which was a single thing with no spring...mm....tired brain...

[littlegreenman]

...On the trousers/pants thing... when I went to work in the UK I'd mistakenly exclaimed to an entirely male office on a rainy day that my "pants were all wet" and couldn't figure out why they were all snickering

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...take for example 'the humble clothes peg'...it's not a 'pair' and so yeah this has come from dolly pegs? maybe which was a single thing with no spring...mm....tired brain...

Not sure but what if the word peg (as in something that is held together) was there before a peg (as in the one on the clothes line) was invented? That might be one explanation.

Fascinating stuff indeed.

[bigfilsing]

Agreed, some as trousers/pants. Although it is one, it has two legs.

Never said scales before though (Must be that the colonials got mixed up hehe. Just kidding )

Or "maths" in the UK... I'd never heard that before - I'd always referred to it as "math" but sort of makes sense. On the trousers/pants thing... when I went to work in the UK I'd mistakenly exclaimed to an entirely male office on a rainy day that my "pants were all wet" and couldn't figure out why they were all snickering

Always makes me gringe when i hear Americans say "math" I guess its derived from arithmatic rather than the brits who use maths (mathematics)

[ksl]

Both are correct scale or scales' note the apostrphe after the s denotes, any kind of scale, becaue there are thousands out there which i am refering too.

Although in communication we do not say scale, apostrophe s we say scales any of the type, or a specific scale.

So both are right!

True or False?

[ksl]

...On the trousers/pants thing... when I went to work in the UK I'd mistakenly exclaimed to an entirely male office on a rainy day that my "pants were all wet" and couldn't figure out why they were all snickering

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...take for example 'the humble clothes peg'...it's not a 'pair' and so yeah this has come from dolly pegs? maybe which was a single thing with no spring...mm....tired brain...

Not sure but what if the word peg (as in something that is held together) was there before a peg (as in the one on the clothes line) was invented? That might be one explanation.

Fascinating stuff indeed.

Where i come from we would ask for a peg or pegs, because normally they are all kept in the same basket or same location. A dolly peg is round and wooden, where other pegs are two pieces with springs attached and refereed to as pegs, if it sounds wrong it is wrong. You do not say my pant, you say pants because it sounds right, two holes for each leg. and anything made up of two of the same pieces would have the S at the end. Except the dolly peg, because it used to be made from one piece of wood and there are a lot of types of pegs too.

So if i was to write about pants' of the world, it would include all pants without it I would have to be more specific in detail.

German grammar is different because of masculine feminine and neutral gender, which English does not have. Scandinavian has two genders common and neutral, having lived in all Countries I am totally

Just discovered the Oxford Education Dictionary changed many rules in 2005,

cbavasi wrote:

...On the trousers/pants thing... when I went to work in the UK I'd mistakenly exclaimed to an entirely male office on a rainy day that my "pants were all wet" and couldn't figure out why they were all snickering

Actually there is nothing wrong at all with that statement, I would say exactly the same thing! The snickering is probably because they found it funny, laughable, that you have to sit there in wet pants. It's a kind of sick humour, that many cultures find hard to grasp, it would be even funnier if you died of cold, if you see what i mean. Because who the hell dies of wet pants! It would probably be the joke of the day at the funeral, its banter, but some take it the wrong way, even English people, because one needs to know the people, to know its banter.
Like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJYTU-uYwgM

[cbavasi]

The snickering is probably because they found it funny, laughable, that you have to sit there in wet pants. It's a kind of sick humour, that many cultures find hard to grasp, it would be even funnier if you died of cold, if you see what i mean.

No... this was a pretty raunchy group... they later told me "pants" was "underpants" and my original statement may have been more like "my pants are soaking wet"