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Most of us know that when talking about the rodent, the plural of "mouse" is "mice."
What about the computer accessory known as a mouse? Is the plural "mice" or "mouses"... or something else?
Somehow "computer mice" conjures up mental pictures of something mischievous inside my machine that will cause some hardware glitch (like a rodent would gnaw through a wire). In any case, I'm not quite comfortable with it. I don't speak for anyone else.
What do you think?
You may freely use either plural, mouses or mice. Both plurals are listed for the computer peripheral in most dictionaries. Historically, it was mouses and not mice. But professionals used the humorous plural mice so often /ɔfən/ on purpose and casual users so often, perhaps, by mistake, that now both are perfectly fine and either may be used. I hear mice much more than mouses, but I tend to use mouses because I am an old fart. Besides, I use a tracker ball.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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