Blogs are a strange, but interesting, phenomena.

As much as it pains me to use bad grammar, it helps me to make a point in an entertaining fashion. Well, maybe it's not really all that entertaining. Anyone who finds this grammar blog entertaining has a very sad excuse for a life and is very unattractive to the opposite sex...except maybe to other like-minded bores and nerds. I digress.

A very common problem in the English language is the correct, er, incorrect, usage of a certain class of nouns with respect to number—i.e., what is the singular and how to use it versus the plural and its correct usage.

Here are the words in question: criterion vs. criteria, medium vs. media, phenomenon vs. phenomena, and datum vs. data. I learn best by seeing simple examples, so let me give some examples of correct usage using these words.


Criterion vs. criteria

When I'm looking for a new job, salary is an important criterion.

Critical criteria to consider when buying a car are price and fuel efficiency.


Medium vs. media

The thumb drive is a small, inexpensive, and convenient data storage medium.

The mainstream news media are liberal pinheads. [In this case, I use the plural media because there are several of them—TV, radio, newspaper, etc.]


Phenomenon vs. phenomena

The Aurora Borealis is a beautiful phenomenon.

Tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes are destructive natural phenomena.


Datum vs. data

Age is a datum most women do not like sharing.

The data on the Mig are inaccurate.

One other note on datum and data. The initial a is a long a, as in cake. That's the gospel according to Jay. Webster's allows for a short a, but the problem with Webster's is that they modify their take on things based on the way words are commonly used by the people, and, as we know, people are stupid. When language changes for a good reason, that's one thing, but when it changes because people are morons, that's unacceptable.

One last thing before I close this post. There is another similar class of nouns with which folks may struggle regarding pluralization.

Focus vs. foci

The focus of this meeting is the lack of efficiency in the office.

An ellipse has two foci. (pronounced foh-sigh)


Locus vs. loci

The locus of the samba competition in Rio is the Sambadromo.

Carnaval celebrations take place at many loci around the world. (pronounced loh-sigh)


Radius vs. radii

This circle has a radius of 3 inches.

The front and rear wheels of a car may have varying radii. (pronounced ray-dee-eye)


One last example is obscure but critical. My grammatical soulmate, Bob W., has suggested the possibility of a plural for hocus-pocus. The answer is clear, and I will use it in an example:

If one wishes to see many examples of hoci-poci, one has simply to watch the Harry Potter series of movies.