Post #987891

2026-03-29 23:47 UTC

Newly arrived on the fediverse and wondering the difference between here and X? Ask what the plural is of octopus. On X this will result in a vicious argument whether it is octopuses or octopi. Here there will be polite discussion on when one should use octopuses and when octopodes, followed by a discursion about classical Greek plurals. 1/2

Replies (8)

@jetton@mastodon.online 2026-03-29 23:48

Soon there will be a number of photos of various cute cephalopods, as well as people dressed up in relevant costumes, leading to a discussion as to whether it is appropriate to refer to a fursona if it is an octopus. Consensus will soon be reached that this is indeed acceptable. An hour later cephalopod.social will be launched. The only mention of octopi will be when @dgar@aus.social posts a photo of a pie with a crust shaped like an octopus. 2/2

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@bri7@social.treehouse.systems 2026-03-30 00:31

@jetton@mastodon.online when are we discussing the noble Icosopus

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@Karen5Lund@mastodon.social 2026-03-30 00:56

@jetton@mastodon.online One octopus. Two octopuses. 3.14 octopi. I don't remember who first posted this. Anyone? #Octopus #Octopuses #Octopi

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@SpaceLifeForm@infosec.exchange 2026-03-30 00:59

@jetton@mastodon.online Cactupuses are sharp, and will not octopi your time very long.

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@clew@ecoevo.social 2026-03-30 01:13

octopoda! Iirc they have enough gendered behaviour for this to be useful. Well, excusable. Colorable? @jetton@mastodon.online

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@muddle@infosec.exchange 2026-03-30 03:34

@jetton@mastodon.online and that's not even covering the diversion of the discussion into how wrong "virii" is as a plural for a (3rd declension mass noun). And, of course, why words like "television" are eldritch abominations. https://xkcd.com/2501/

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@samuel@samuellison.com 2026-03-30 06:22

@jetton@mastodon.online For discussion, yep. Don't get involved in discussions on X at all. But if you follow the right accounts (since a lot of mainstream and independents still use it), you still get a quality stream of information to take in. Just need to follow the right accounts and only use the "following" tab, not the "For You" tab that is algorithmic.

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@mittelgeek@mastodon.social 2026-03-30 12:53

@jetton@mastodon.online I noticed that none posted any pictures of an octopus so I thought I would rectify that

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