The Plural for Euro

The issue of whether the correct plural form would be euri or euro remained open for a long time, predating the actual introduction of the currency and leaving a relative uncertainty among speakers. The Accademia della Crusca assigned to Severina Parodi, lexicographer, and to Luca Serianni, language historian, the task to give a response. They deliberated in favour of euri in 1999 with the motivation that “euro is a masculine noun”. But the issue was then re-examined many times.Finally, the consensus of the Accademia was in favour of invariability and appeared, with an articulate rationale, on issue 23 (October 2001) of La Crusca per voi (Gli euro e le lingue, (Italian)). The rationale was based on the fact that abbreviated words originating from a longer word (for example auto from automobile (car) or moto from motocicletta (motorbike)) do not have a plural form, as well as the fact that the word Euro is considered an abbreviation of the word Europa (Europe). In the 306th session of the Senate of the Italian Republic, December 18, 2002, an amendment to the financial act was proposed to adopt euri as the plural form for public official deeds but was quickly rejected

Common usage in the rest of the English-speaking world, where the euro is not the local currency, is to use the regular plurals. The media in the UK prefer euros and cents as the plural forms.

I feel like this sometimes

UP

One Reason Why the 80s were _____________ (Awesome / Lame)

Your Thanksgiving Day Moment of Zen

Paul Johnson on G.K. Chesterton

“To GKC the act of making a joke was one of the most serious decisions you could possibly make, on a par with publishing a political manifesto, or a declaration of war.”

On George Clooney : David Thomson

“He has a lot of the material it would take to be the most interesting and equivocal actor of our time. Everything except the parts. And everything except the innate anxiety that cannot quite trust his own image…. What Clooney lacks is the unease, the dissatisfaction with himself that would permit the heights of drama or comedy in any relationship. His being pleased with himself comes in advance of our response, and takes the edge of decision away from us. But it is his own safety net, too, and it is the sign that he is not quite ready to let himself be vulnerable.”

Polish Movie Posters I Like

via

International Security Alerts

• The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats, and have therefore raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved”.  Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross”.  The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940, when tea supplies nearly ran out.  Terrorists have been re-categorized from “Tiresome” to “A Bloody Nuisance”.  The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.
• The Scots have raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s get the Bastards”.  They don’t have any other levels.  This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.
• The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide”.  The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender”.  The rise as precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France’s white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country’s military capability.
• Italy has increased the alert level from “Shout Loudly and Excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing”.  Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides”.
• The Germans have increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs”.  They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbor” and “Lose”.
• Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.
• The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy.  These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
• Canada doesn’t have any alert levels.
• New Zealand has raised its security levels – from “baaa” to “BAAAA”.  Because of continuing defense cutbacks, New Zealand has only one more level of escalation, which is “I hope Australia  will come and rescue us”.
• Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries” to “She’ll be alright, mate”.  Three more escalation levels remain: “Crikey!”, “I think we’ll need to cancel the barbie this weekend” and “The barbie is cancelled”.  So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

Behind the Force