mommie/mommies

[mkenuk]

re yesterday's solecism 7-by-many game

mommie - rare; mommies - common!!! That **!*!ing word cost me a rosette!!

Even after ten years of playing Chi, I still fall foul of the 'double spelling' rule.

For some time now I have been of the opinion that in these cases, where the singular form of a noun can be spelled in two ways (mommy/mommie), then all three forms - two singulars and one plural should be allowed. This case only reinforces my belief.

[Morbius]

Presumably, mommy is common, which is why mommies is also common.  I think the overriding principle is that common words trump rare ones.  So, there is a rationale for allowing mommies as a common word.  I think there have been similar examples in the past.

[mkenuk]

Indeed; I can see the logic.
However, it is annoying when having played mommie one eschews playing mommies on the grounds that it will probably be rejected.

Whether mommy should be allowed as common since it is (to me) quite American - in UK we usually write 'mummy'  - is another matter.