Comments on: The Toronto Maple Leafs http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512 Forum for the gray areas of the English language Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:46:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Garbanzo http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-9566 Garbanzo Tue, 14 Apr 2009 01:04:53 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512#comment-9566 Since September 28, 2005 at 2:22 pm this thread has been fiercely debated and now I have come to finish it after all! I shall use the most state of the art technology to solve this fiasco... WIKIPEDIA I SUMMON YOU! "After taking control on Valentine's Day 1927, Conn Smythe immediately renamed the team the Maple Leafs (the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team had won the International League championship a few months earlier and had been using that name for 30 years). The Maple Leafs say that the name was chosen in honor of the Maple Leaf Regiment from World War I. As the regiment is a proper noun, its plural is formed by adding a simple 's' creating Maple Leafs (not *Maple Leaves). Another story says that Smythe named the team after a team he had once scouted, called the East Toronto Maple Leafs, while Smythe's grandson states that Conn named the team after the Maple Leaf insignia he had worn during the First World War."<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-9566">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Since September 28, 2005 at 2:22 pm this thread has been fiercely debated and now I have come to finish it after all! I shall use the most state of the art technology to solve this fiasco… WIKIPEDIA I SUMMON YOU!

“After taking control on Valentine’s Day 1927, Conn Smythe immediately renamed the team the Maple Leafs (the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team had won the International League championship a few months earlier and had been using that name for 30 years). The Maple Leafs say that the name was chosen in honor of the Maple Leaf Regiment from World War I. As the regiment is a proper noun, its plural is formed by adding a simple ‘s’ creating Maple Leafs (not *Maple Leaves). Another story says that Smythe named the team after a team he had once scouted, called the East Toronto Maple Leafs, while Smythe’s grandson states that Conn named the team after the Maple Leaf insignia he had worn during the First World War.”

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: JJM http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-8191 JJM Tue, 20 May 2008 17:36:02 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512#comment-8191 It's "Maple Leafs." Period. End of discussion.* As for: "Everyone knows there is no such thing as 'Canadien Soldiers'." I suggest you visit this site for an education, mon ami: www.r22er.com * Now if they could just start actually winning a few games...<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-8191">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> It's "Maple Leafs." Period. End of discussion.*

As for:

"Everyone knows there is no such thing as 'Canadien Soldiers'."

I suggest you visit this site for an education, mon ami:

http://www.r22er.com

* Now if they could just start actually winning a few games…

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: matt http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-8182 matt Sat, 17 May 2008 09:36:39 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512#comment-8182 just a side note... who would want to be american?<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-8182">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> just a side note…
who would want to be american?

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: John http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-7625 John Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:43:30 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512#comment-7625 Why not? The meaning of "Maple Leafs" cannot be transparently guessed from its component parts. That's what an exocentric compound is.<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-7625">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Why not? The meaning of "Maple Leafs" cannot be transparently guessed from its component parts. That's what an exocentric compound is.

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: Chad http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-7622 Chad Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:06:55 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512#comment-7622 John, your explanation really piqued my interest at first, but being an English geek, I have to call you out on this. "Maple Leafs," is in NO WAY an exocentric compound. Maybe what Bob said is correct...<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-7622">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> John, your explanation really piqued my interest at first, but being an English geek, I have to call you out on this. "Maple Leafs," is in NO WAY an exocentric compound.

Maybe what Bob said is correct…

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: Mark http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-6963 Mark Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:12:02 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512#comment-6963 Michael Cain quite true, whilst I like both Americans and Canadians (Canadians being nicer, as they are less likely to kill you). Americans have taken to wearing maple leafs to avoid trouble, (with people who can not distinguish between a government and its people,) largely because the accents sound quite similar. Anyway why are people on this board slagging each other off.<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-6963">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Michael Cain quite true, whilst I like both Americans and Canadians (Canadians being nicer, as they are less likely to kill you). Americans have taken to wearing maple leafs to avoid trouble, (with people who can not distinguish between a government and its people,) largely because the accents sound quite similar.

Anyway why are people on this board slagging each other off.

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: John http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-5434 John Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:31:30 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512#comment-5434 er, ok, anyway... "Maple Leafs" is an exocentric compound like "low life", "highbrow", "sabre tooth" or "white collar", where the meaning is not transparently clear from the words in the compound. A sabre tooth is not a kind of tooth, a low life is not a kind of life, the Maple Leafs are not kinds of leaves, etc. Exocentric compounds are usually pluralized in the regular way - we say "lowlifes" and not "lowlives", "sabre tooths" and not "sabre teeth". And "Maple Leafs" not "Maple Leaves".<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-5434">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> er, ok, anyway… "Maple Leafs" is an exocentric compound like "low life", "highbrow", "sabre tooth" or "white collar", where the meaning is not transparently clear from the words in the compound. A sabre tooth is not a kind of tooth, a low life is not a kind of life, the Maple Leafs are not kinds of leaves, etc.

Exocentric compounds are usually pluralized in the regular way – we say "lowlifes" and not "lowlives", "sabre tooths" and not "sabre teeth". And "Maple Leafs" not "Maple Leaves".

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: Michael Cain http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-5401 Michael Cain Tue, 18 Jul 2006 00:10:40 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512#comment-5401 Most Europeans would rather spend time with Canadians than Americans. You have to wear a maple leaf so that people don't give you the cold shoulder down the pub on account of the accent.<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-5401">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Most Europeans would rather spend time with Canadians than Americans. You have to wear a maple leaf so that people don't give you the cold shoulder down the pub on account of the accent.

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: thomas http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-5399 thomas Mon, 17 Jul 2006 19:14:20 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512#comment-5399 as a european i can confirm some people do actually wish they were canadian, im one of them!<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-5399">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> as a european i can confirm some people do actually wish they were canadian, im one of them!

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]> By: porsche http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-5073 porsche Wed, 10 May 2006 13:48:16 +0000 http://painintheenglish.com/?p=512#comment-5073 So where are you from myrna?<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-5073">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> So where are you from myrna?

Current score: 0 (to vote for this comment, please visit the site)

]]>