What are some acceptable options for the plural of mongoose?
If you use these same terms when searching for something, you'll find nearly 780,000 search results on Google. Regardless of the nature of the source, everything from free, official dictionary answers to full websites are available. This is among the most frequently asked questions that I deal with as a ranger, and in an effort to keep everyone in the know, I've chosen to lay it all out on the table!
PLURALS ARE UNUSUAL THINGS:
The plural of foot is feet.
The plural of goosefoot is goosefoots.
The plural of moose is moose.
The plural of goose is geese.
The plural of mouse, the rodent, is mice.
The plural of mouse, the computer hardware device, is mouses.
After extensive internet research, it became clear to me that there are numerous conflicting viewpoints on the matter. Which is correct: mongooses or mongeese? I choose to address the question to the entire internet community. I believed it was prudent to utilize the technology available to me, but also because I had never done anything like this and it seemed pretty enjoyable...
I entered my two alternatives:'mongooses' or'mongeese' into five of the larger search engines. I then tallied the hits for each.
WHEN I ASKED GOOGLE:
Mongooses = 804 000 hits
Mongeese = 103 000 hits
When I asked Yahoo:
Mongooses = 631 000 hits
Mongeese = 55 800 hits
When I asked Bing:
Mongooses = 543 000 hits
Mongeese = 47 900 hits
When I asked Lycos:
Mongooses = 626 000 hits
Mongeese = 58 800
When I asked Ixquick:
Mongooses = 7082 hits
Mongeese = 3380 hits
The results, on the other hand, appear to speak for themselves. Mongooses always win! Even as I type this, the computer shouts at me, highlighting each time I type 'Moongeese' and advising me to check my spellcheck! I suppose I'll take that as a sign. I mean, wasn't Steve Jobs a genius?
White tailed Mongooses come out at night
What do you reckon the plural of mongoose is, and are there any alternative plurals that appear to fit?