General Chat

Somehow, I've discovered I spell the plural of 'roof' differently to others.
Last night, in a phone call to my sister, I discovered she spells it differently to me!
I spell it 'rooves' - she spells it 'roofs'.
We both looked online to see what the internet said.

Apparently, my spelling isn't 'wrong' but is: "an old secondary form, and it still appears occasionally by analogy with other irregular plurals such as hooves, but it is not common enough to be considered standard."

I did point out that, a least I wasn't using a medieval spelling - then we found this:
"Roofs has been the standard form since at least the 18th century."
..so not quite Medieval then.....

I can't fathom this out, except, perhaps a school I attended taught us 'rooves'! :-S

How do you spell it?

I have always said rooves. (My spellcheck just told me that was wrong)
What about hoof and hooves? (Spellcheck says that's OK)

I spell it Roofs, but I say it rooves :-)

I noticed the presenter on Homes under the hammer, say 'houses' with a definite pronunciation of the S as it is written, whereas mine is more houzes ,

I have noticed a number of people from different parts of the country spell 'used' as in 'I used to be young' as youst.

Loaf. Is it loafs or loaves?

It's loaves, and hoof is hooves.
I think I spell 'rooves' the logical way.

As for 'used', when I say it 'It is well used', 'used is more like uzed.
when I say 'I used to be young', the 'used' is 'Youst'.

I say rooves but I am a swede basher and I say somewhen as well.

I sometimes say 'outwith' for outside :-(

Outwith is in common usage here in Scotland, as is uplift, meaning collect.

I am sure I have used both rooves and roofs because I could not decide which is correct.

I think 'outwith' also means outside in Scotland - that's where I picked it up :-D
(started school in Lossiemouth) Definitely means outside in Shetland.
Confuses 'Sooth Moothers' in Hampshire!
My conversation is spattered with Scottish-isms and Cornish-isms. :-S

Meanwhile, my writing is spattered with outdated spellings :-S

Just checked something I remembered reading a Blyton book when about 8 years old and have just checked her spelling the title was The family at red roofs. She spelt it with the fs ending. That would have been in the 1940s. I wondered if it was one of those spelling that had changed recently and whether rooves was the old spelling but it seems not.

I live in the land of glasshouses and was most puzzled when I read in my first Janet and John book (Here We Go) that they lived in a green house. I did wonder abou their privacy issues.

you say tomarto, we say tomayto
etc...

I was also taught in Primary School to spell it ROOVES, Maggie :-D

Ann, I too read Janet and John for a short while.
What caught my attention was that John was always 'doing' things, while Janet watched on in admiration - 'See John fly his kite - see, Janet, see how high it flies! Well done John'
Then Janet was called back home to help with dinner.
I didn't notice the spelling - just the injustice!

That was life then, Maggie.

JemimaFawr - thank goodness!
Did we both go to schools run by incarnations of the past! :-D

Just like to say, My sister is older than me - but I was taught the 'old fashioned' way.

Very likely Maggie :-D :-D :-D

Roofs! I think!!

I was taught rooves. It is age related? ;-)