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Ok, I have noticed people using the plural form of "bonus" as "bonuses." I checked Webster's and the plural that it carries is "bonuses." American Heritage Dictionary also has "bonuses." So, what's up with the referral of bonuses as bonuses.....it's weird...

People say bonuses because they're either trying to sound smart or sound funny. In either case they end up sounding like asses. Even if it's actually the "proper" way to say it (I neither know for sure nor care at all), I suggest one avoid using the term "bonuses" just because it's annoying as hell.

I say bonuses because I'm lazy and it's easier to say.

Bonuses, because saying bonuses is about as cool as an asach post.

OK, I am putting my "Linguistic Nerd" Hat on, so please do not judge me by these comments, the combination of my not-so-thorough last-five-minutes research and the linguistics class I took last summer.

Bonus came into the English language sometime around the 1770s, borrowed directly from Latin bonus, or good. This word was originally used as an ADJECTIVE. Adjectives do not have plural forms in English. The word later zero-derived into the noun bonus, meaning literally, "something which is good."

Since the word has been zero-derived, its origin as a noun is English, and therefore the plural is conjugated as any normal English noun: bonuses.

Words that do end in "us" and take "i" as plural, including radius and cactus, are NOUNS borrowed from Latin and therefore conjugate as a Latin noun: radii, cacti.

I hope this will put all arguments as to the "CORRECT" form of the plural of bonus to rest. However, as to the more prevalent form...debate on!

"Bonuses" is just so awkward to say.

Then just say "bonus questions" or something. bonuses is half pretentious, half goddamn stupid.

I've taken latin for 4 years, and I still say "bonuses." I just can't stand pretentious douchebags who think every English word with a Latin origin should be treated as such. Usually the same type of pompous moron that says "bonuses" will say the plural of virus as "virii" (which is obviously completely wrong) and still pronounce "alumni" with a long "i" and treat "data" as a singular noun.

Ah, "bonuses;" the term of the pretentious and very pretentious alike. I wonder if that has anything to do with its coinage and currency on the East Coast... if you didn't all love taking polls so much, I might make another one about that. I do, however, know that among my teammates, there is a Freeburgian inverse correlation of -1 between "uses bonuses" and "is hated by me;" further, it is often the case that I hate these people for reasons other than their use of "bonuses."
It is my staid opinion that, like many things that are wrong with quizbowl, use of "bonuses" was probably started by someone as a harmless in-joke that other people then proliferated without understanding... actually, that describes most everything in quizbowl whatsoever. Especially the "without understanding" part.
Henceforth, anyone caught using "bonuses" around me will be catapulted out of a window by my Rainbow Maker 400. Possibly their shoes, gold chains, and any tapes they posess (especially those lacking cases) will be stolen.

Michael Angelo Sorice

ImmaculateDeception wrote:Henceforth, anyone caught using "bonuses" around me will be catapulted out of a window by my Rainbow Maker 400. Possibly their shoes, gold chains, and any tapes they posess (especially those lacking cases) will be stolen.

I don't know what your problem is; obviously, you're forgetting quiz bowlers have no money, no jobs, and no taste. I guess that's a side effect of having a cavity that keeps you afloat where you should have a brain.

It always seems to me that bonuses is frequently used by quiz bowlers with the emotional development of a 12 year old.

I agree with Pat that it is annoying, mostly due to the fact that usually when people say it, they do so with a slight playfulness in their voice.

I am half waiting for someone to say "Hee Hee, he said bonuses" (Something I actually heard out of a high school senior at a tournament once.)

I usually refer to them as bonus questions simply to avoid the akwardness of bonuses.

I don't care what the "correct" version is. So I didn't vote. But I do say "bonuses," personally.

ater wrote:I've taken latin for 4 years, and I still say "bonuses." I just can't stand pretentious douchebags who think every English word with a Latin origin should be treated as such. Usually the same type of pompous moron that says "bonuses" will say the plural of virus as "virii" (which is obviously completely wrong) and still pronounce "alumni" with a long "i" and treat "data" as a singular noun.

I will decline all those words correctly. Virus, being a fourth declension noun, has the plural "virus" with an optional long u.

Matt Weiner wrote:

ater wrote:I've taken latin for 4 years, and I still say "bonuses." I just can't stand pretentious douchebags who think every English word with a Latin origin should be treated as such. Usually the same type of pompous moron that says "bonuses" will say the plural of virus as "virii" (which is obviously completely wrong) and still pronounce "alumni" with a long "i" and treat "data" as a singular noun.

I will decline all those words correctly. Virus, being a fourth declension noun, has the plural "virus" with an optional long u.

Uh, isn't "virus" a rare second declension neuter with a collective meaning, a la "vulgus" or "crowd"?

One would think Webster and American Heritage would be authoritative enough.

On a side note, there's a Subaru running around Maryland with the license plate "bonuses". I wonder if they have any idea.

bonuses. Why?
1) I stutter over the word bonuses due to a combination of a Georgia education and growing up in a non-English speaking home.
2) Falling asleep in Latin and thus only learning certain parts of grammar.
3) It was handed down to me by upperclassmen when I was a freshman, so by now it's ingrained.

Honestly though, how often do you need to say the plural of bonus? "These bonus questions suck" usually does the trick without having to resort to other forms. I only use 'bonuses' about once a season or so anyway.

My team called them "bonuses" because a lot of us were taking Latin. And the plural of "bonus" in Latin is "bonuses." And we did pretty damn well last year, mind you.

EDIT: cvdwightw, thanks, I have now been knocked down from my high horse (but my school's curriculum was focused more on literature starting third year)

Surely that makes you right.

MaS

Bonuses. Period.

I think that the question can be easily solved...

Which one do you have more fun saying? There ya go.

when i play certamen- bonuses
When I play Quiz Bowl- Bonuses

the dateline on post by Jason84 wrote:Thu Oct 09, 2003 12:41 am

the dateline on post by TeeK wrote:Fri Feb 06, 2004 10:57 pm

...

MaS

you'll live.

just because it's not new to you doesnt mean it's not new to someone else.

In most online settings, people frown upon reviving really old stuff. Of course, they'll also complain if a new person starts a new conversation on something they can remember talking about in the not-so-distant past.

So I guess the way to go is just don't be new.

MCDoug wrote:you'll live.

just because it's not new to you doesnt mean it's not new to someone else.

Hey, thanks buddy. It's good to know that you can teach me not only quizbowl science, but also how to moderate my forum. Since (I'm assuming) the people reviving a four-month-old thread with nothing new or interesting are probably new (they are, at very least, unaware of the "rules," or stupid) I decided to go easy on them by simply noting that such practices aren't good, via silence. Since you, in your wisdom, have decided to make an issue of what everyone knows to be common practice, noting we'll all live (which note is, unfortunately, likely to be true) I suppose that such lenience is a luxury no longer affordable, so any further posts without substance in this forum will probably be deleted or (what's better) replaced with pictures of my chosing.

MaS

you're very welcome. have a great day :)

by the way, i perfer bonuses out of the two available choices. although, since i'm not entirely sure which is correct, whenever i have to use the word in question i simply replace it with "bonus questions."

I was wrong. ImmaculateDeception was right. Sorry.