Re: Missing Singulars

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Piotr Gasiorowski <gpiotr@...> wrote:

>
> On 2008-12-19 18:00, Andrew Jarrette wrote:
>
> > Yes, <these/those police> is probably acceptable, although I seldom
> > hear anything other than <the police>. More likely one would say
> > <these/those policemen> (or <police officers>, especially if women
> > are included). But I disagree: I don't think one can say "ten police"
> > or "I counted seven police", at least I wouldn't say those. One
> > would more likely say "ten police officers" or "I counted seven
> > policemen". So I think <police> behaves more like <cattle> (takes a
> > plural verb) except it's usually prefixed by <the> and whereas one
> > might say <some cattle> one wouldn't say <some police>.
>
> Constructions like <two police arrived at the scene> or <twelve

soldiers

> and four police were injured> can be found quite often especially
> (though not exclusively) in British and Australian/NZ English; at least
> one can google up a fair number of examples. They may be journalese for
> <police officers>. Here's a typical example:
>
> "Two police arrived to arrest Mrs Cairncross at the senior school
> assembly and took her away in a police car with blue lights flashing."
>
> http://www.oldws.org.uk/In_Touch_Spring_2007.pdf
>
> The accompanying photo shows two police officers of different sex.
>
> Piotr
>

I think it's journalese short forms. I know I wouldn't say "two
police arrested me" or "he was arrested by two police". I would
always add <-men> or <officers>.

Andrew