http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21249 Feel Smart Again Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:46:21 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21249/comment-page-1#comment-114848 Kikadee Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:54:00 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21249#comment-114848 A female octopus is called a hen? Huh, who knew? Is there a special term for a male octopus? What about a group of octupi/octopuses? A female octopus is called a hen? Huh, who knew? Is there a special term for a male octopus? What about a group of octupi/octopuses?

]]> http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21249/comment-page-1#comment-114806 Mike James Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:31:00 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21249#comment-114806 I looked up Octopi in the dictionary and it's there as a plural to octopus...and so was octopuses. Your explanation sounds accurate so I think someone should tell Webster to update his book. I looked up Octopi in the dictionary and it’s there as a plural to octopus…and so was octopuses. Your explanation sounds accurate so I think someone should tell Webster to update his book.

]]> http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21249/comment-page-1#comment-114793 Scott Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:23:00 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21249#comment-114793 There is no such word as octopi. The plural is octopuses. The common belief that it should be octopi comes from the mistaken assumption that the word is from the Latin. In fact, it derives from the Greek and if one wanted to use unnecessarily non-English plurals it would be something like octopodes (but people will think you weird if you use this). There is no such word as octopi. The plural is octopuses. The common belief that it should be octopi comes from the mistaken assumption that the word is from the Latin. In fact, it derives from the Greek and if one wanted to use unnecessarily non-English plurals it would be something like octopodes (but people will think you weird if you use this).

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