The plural of ROUX


In a weekend game with Mark I was able to play rOUXES (using the blank r from a play I had already made) to score 26. I knew that I would play one of the new faux plurals at some time. The latest edition of the official NASPA Word List includes erroneous plurals such as ROUXES, MIREPOIXS, FECESES, CHIRRENS and NEWSES. Those are all that I can immediately think of at this midnight hour as I write this. There are more faux plurals than these, all of which are ghastly, and all of which are wrong. I believe that the Dictionary Committee will come to its senses come the publication of the next official word list and purge these monstrosities. Tell me why ROUX makes its plural as -ES while MIREPOIX only -S?

I was briefly on the Dictionary Committee. It may be Trumpian to say, but if I was still on the committee I never would have allowed these plurals into the lexicon. You can guarantee that I would have been a vocal opponent to keep them out, and been prepared to trash the new word list as a now former member if my vote was trumped by the others.

Yet still, that opinion didn’t stop me from making the play rOUXES, which was my best move in that particular turn.

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