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Chapter 5.
- trade unions
- under secretaries
- vice chairmen
- men employees
- secretaries-treasurers
- women aviators
- Both words equally significant:
- Bulletins Nos. 27 and 28 not Bulletin Nos. 27 and 28 but Bulletin No. 27 or 28
- coats of arms
- masters at arms
- men buyers
- No word significant in itself:
- forget-me-nots
- hand-me-downs
- jack-in-the-pulpits
- man-of-the-earths
- pick-me-ups
- will-o'-the-wisps
5.9.
Nouns ending with ful form the plural by adding s at the end; if it is necessary to express the idea that more than one container was filled, the two elements of the solid compound are printed as separate words and the plural is formed by adding s to the noun.
- five bucketfuls of the mixture (one bucket filled five times)
- five buckets full of earth (separate buckets)
- three cupfuls of flour (one cup filled three times)
- three cups full of coffee (separate cups)
5.10.
The following list comprises other words the plurals of which may cause difficulty.
- addendum, addenda
- adieu, adieus
- agendum, agenda
- alga, algae
- alumnus, alumni (masc); alumna, alumnae (fern.)
- antenna, antennas (antennae, zoology)
- appendix, appendixes
- aquarium, aquariums
- automaton, automatons
- axis, axes
- bandeau, bandeaux
- basis, bases
- bateau, bateaux
- beau, beaus
- cactus, cactuses
- calix, calices
- cargo, cargoes
- chassis (singular and plural)
- cherub, cherubs
- cicatrix, cicatrices
- Co., Cos.
- coccus, cocci
- consortium, consortia
- corrigendum, corrigenda
- crisis, crises
- criterion, criteria
- curriculum, curriculums
- datum (singular), data (plural, but singular in collective sense)
- desideratum, desiderata
- dilettante, dilettanti
- dogma, dogmas
- ellipsis, ellipses
- equilibrium, equilibriums (equilibria, scientific)
- erratum, errata
- executrix, executrices
- flambeau, flambeaus
