Countdown......

[10ClarionSt]

.........I was a bit surprised t'other day when Susie said "...and there's another seven, Bagfuls.." I always thought it was bagsful, as in "..baa baa blacksheep, three bagsfull.." Or is that two words? Seems a bit odd to say bagfuls though, so I checked the dictionary, and it's in! Why wouldn't it be if Susie said it was? I know, I know. I'll get me coat on.

[aelmpvw]

i'm going to start a petition to get the dreadful word bagfuls deleted from dictionaries ...

[Mozz71]

I thing "three bags full" is two separate words, whereas bagful as in "I popped in for some milk and ended up with a bagful" is just one.

[10ClarionSt]

I know Mozz. I get that. But if you wanted more than one would you say you ended up with bagfuls or bagsful?

[Mozz71]

I think that both "bagfuls" or "bags full" would be appropriate. But (without checking) I don't think that "bagsful" is a word lol

[pastafreak]

It's like spoonsful, and spoonfuls...both are apparently acceptable.
Say it enough and neither sounds right. ;)

[Mozz71]

Well, It seems I don't know crap. Just looked it up and both "bagsful" and "bagfuls" can both be used as a plural to bagful. So you and Susie are both right.

[Old_Geezer]

Both bagsful and spoonsful sound awful.

[Mozz71]

I agree OG. That's why I thought they would be two separate words.

[Peter Pedant]

oh god plurals in Form III aged eight
all I remember is that it is complex and easier to learn the plural as it comes up- there are not many times there are two attorneys general in a discussion - Kier Starmer was one but I cant name another

it divides in noun-noun ( major general)
adjective noun ( er cant think)
noun adjective ( court martial or solicitor general)

and left out - noun-prep - passer-by or hanger-on
easy passers-by or hangers on

noun-noun is a matter of taste and I thought 1961 o god is english grammar always gonna be like this / ( yes )

[Peter Pedant]

oh and boys and girls - rememb er that ENglish dictionaries are not prescriptive ( bad boy do this! )
but always follow us .....

and so the alternative meaning of disinterested ( should be fair or balanced ) may list the 'wrong' meaning uninterested as a second use

[tomus42]

I would always say bagsfull, because after all it is a number of bags that are full, rather than a single bag that is fulls.

Also because it's the right way to say it.