this post was submitted on 03 Jun 2024
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[–] xantoxis@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago (2 children)
[–] ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world 18 points 5 months ago (5 children)

Do you refer to a bag of popcorn as one singular popped corn?

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 10 points 5 months ago

I refer to a bag of popcorn as a bag of popcorn

[–] xantoxis@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

You yourself just referred to it as a "bag"

[–] ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah but it's like the difference between a shirt and a pair of pants.

Pants are one singular item yet we use a plural word to describe them.

[–] xantoxis@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Are you trolling? Nobody says popcorns.

[–] ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No this is just an example of the opposite.

We also use singular words when referring to the plural. Corn is a perfect example. Corn is the singular and the plural.

So using "them" when referring to corn (or in this case popcorn) makes sense. There are multiple kernels and with "them" being a plural pronoun it fits.

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago

I was saying 'popcorns'.....

[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

Yes, actually. I refer to it as "popcorn" just like you did just now.

[–] CrayonRosary@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

It's a singular mass noun like sand. Do you say "popcorns"?

[–] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's like fish and sheep. One popcorn, two popcorn, a bag of popcorn.

[–] CrayonRosary@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

You can't say "one popcorn" or "two popcorn" because mass nouns aren't countable. It's just "popcorn" for any amount of popcorn. Notice I said "amount" and not "number" because, again, popcorn is a mass noun and cannot be enumerated. If you want to enumerate kernals of popcorn, you have to say "kernels of popcorn".

[–] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 5 months ago

Yes, you can. I just did. Try to stop me.

[–] Squirrel@thelemmy.club 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

A serving is often treated as singular a unit in English. Popcorn, rice, candy, etc. "I ate all of it," not "I ate all of them." Only when referring to pieces of popcorn does it become them.

[–] GrabtharsHammer@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

Context tells us they bought two or more.

[–] phorq@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 months ago

Could be one cob of corn with many popped kernels, you can't prove it's not...

[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

Two bags on top of the machine in the first panel, maybe?

[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

In English popcorn is pronouned as a non living item: it

[–] candybrie@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That's singular, though. If you're talking about two bags of popcorn, how do you refer to them?

[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Well, most couples would share one bag, and in this context specifically, it would also be awkward wording even if that's what they meant.

But yes you could in some context obviously also talk about bags of popcorn as "them".

[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Well, most couples would share one bag, and in this context specifically, it would also be awkward wording even if that's what they meant.

In the first panel he cashier is asking if they want 'them' salty or sweet. Indicating that contrary to what would be common this couple has, indeed, chosen to buy multiple bags. Perhaps there was a special offer making it make far more economic sense to have separate bags on the occasion.

[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

And at the same time they aren't referring to anything individual about them. Struck me as a non native English speaker writing a bit improperly