Rejected plural

[Tom44]

I found this note to myself that failed to specify the puzzle involved, but its been a while so no spoiler alert.  The word that was rejected was dildoes.  Apparently dildos (which would be rejected as just adding an s to the word) is the more common plural, but dildoes is an acceptable alternative.  E.g., Webster's online dictionary lists dildos as plural, then adds "also dildoes".  So how about it, Alan; can we add dildoes to the list?

[cariboo]

I've been to Dildo, Newfoundland,Canada (real place, honest). Believe me, there shouldn't be two of them!

[technomc]

Oh dear! Cariboo..si you don't recommend i book my ticket there then?

I work and teach several very large ones.....

[cariboo]

A trip to Newfoundland is a visit to another world, TechNo, and well worth it, but except for the mock-up of the giant squid caught there in the 1930s, there isn't a lot to see or do in Dildo. Bikers like to stop and--er--mount the giant squid, that is climb up on it and have their picture taken!

[technomc]

Oh dear oh dear!! Who would name a town Dildo?  and who would live there except those with very thick skin or a remarkable sense of humour??

I hate to think what the street names are...the mind boggles ....

[Alan W]

Tom, you are correct in saying that dildoes is an alternate spelling of the plural of dildo. The problem is that dildoe is also an alternate spelling of the singular word, and is acceptable, as a rare word, in Chihuahua. Hence, dildoes is ruled out as the plural of dildoe.

The singular version with the e is quite rare, though Google Book Search returned me 1460 hits on that spelling. But since the plural spelling with the e is also rarely used, I don't think I should insert dildoes, so to speak.

One usage, for which both spellings are employed, is for a plant, the dildo(e) tree. In the words of the Shorter Oxford, "Any of several W. Indian cacti with tall ribbed cylindrical stems..."