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Pedants' corner

Goes… 🫤

(16 Posts)
FannyCornforth Wed 22-Mar-23 11:56:04

This is a really daft one, but it bothers me (a bit; sometimes).

When you have a few turns or tries at something, ie a game, is the word ‘goes’?

As in, ‘I ran out of goes in Wordle today’?

It doesn’t seem right, but there’s no alternative.

(It’s a slow day today grin)

Baggs Wed 22-Mar-23 12:12:45

Never had to write it or read it but hearing it wouldn't bother me. It's obvious what it means and one does talk of having a go So several goes is logical.

MaizieD Wed 22-Mar-23 12:57:24

It's absolutely correct.

'Gos' would look even sillier... And silliest of all would be 'go's' grin

FannyCornforth Wed 22-Mar-23 13:06:59

Yes.
So, going by that logic (not that there is any logic to this sort of thing) for the plural of bridal party, it’s Hen Does

Yammy Wed 22-Mar-23 14:04:28

Don't ask me Fanny you know what my spelling is like but I would automatically write goes. Or change it completely to turns.

JackyB Wed 22-Mar-23 14:17:13

Attempts?

Grannmarie Wed 22-Mar-23 14:46:58

Locally, West of Scotland, we would say 'shots' to mean tries, attempts, goes...
As in,
It took me half a dozen shots to thread that needle!

Wyllow3 Wed 22-Mar-23 14:58:10

Yes, I'd say, "I had to have several goes at ...."

Grannybags Wed 22-Mar-23 15:10:09

'Goes' looks and sounds ok to me.

'Does' sounds right but looks odd!

Fleurpepper Wed 22-Mar-23 15:17:56

Wyllow3

Yes, I'd say, "I had to have several goes at ...."

And 100% accepted as correct by a multitude of renowned dictionaries.

lixy Wed 22-Mar-23 15:31:10

Total sympathy with this dilemma. I once wasted a good 5 minutes in an exam because 'whose' didn't look right - but it was and so is goes.
As for 'does/dos' - since when did this wonderful language have any kind of consistent logic!?

FannyCornforth Wed 22-Mar-23 15:32:51

Thanks all!
(I wasn’t searching for synonyms, but wondered about the spelling, but no matter)

Hair does? ✂️

FannyCornforth Wed 22-Mar-23 15:33:45

Yammy

Don't ask me Fanny you know what my spelling is like but I would automatically write goes. Or change it completely to turns.

Yes, definitely! If in doubt, search for another word!

Fleurpepper Wed 22-Mar-23 15:35:06

FannyCornforth

Thanks all!
(I wasn’t searching for synonyms, but wondered about the spelling, but no matter)

Hair does? ✂️

Having a hair do? lol

grandtanteJE65 Thu 23-Mar-23 12:05:42

FannyCornforth

Thanks all!
(I wasn’t searching for synonyms, but wondered about the spelling, but no matter)

Hair does? ✂️

Oh dear! or Oh deer!

It's bad enough we women worry about our hair, but reading this, I wonder when the female deer had started bothering about theirs!

FannyCornforth Thu 23-Mar-23 12:27:17

Ooh, I hadn’t thought of that Grandtante!
Rabbits too…
Insert your own hair / hare joke 🐇