List of words with identical singular and plural forms
I’ve been thinking lately about sending CDs out to bands and venues. It’s been too long since I’ve performed frequently. The problem is I’m not sure I want to play as just “Greg Kamprath.” My thinking is:
- My name isn’t especially easy to remember.
- It would be nice to be able to perform with a band as well as by myself.
- It would be nice for the people in the band to be able to say, “I’m in the band such and such” instead of “I play in Greg Kamprath’s band.”
In the process of coming up with names, Eric and I talked about using words with identical singular and plural forms. That way, when I’m playing by myself, the word would be interpreted as singular, and when I’m playing with a band, it would be heard as plural. We couldn’t think of that many. Do you know some? So far there’s:
- deer
- fish
- moose
- sheep
- aircraft
- pants
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congeries, kudos, premises, shambles, series, and species.
Some plurals which are spelled identically but are pronounced differently than the singular form;
bourgeois, chassis, corps, faux-pax, gardebras, pince-nez, rendezvous
Another interesting twist on your idea is to simply play as the singular form when solo, and the plural form when with a band. This happened with the band Men’s Recovery Project, when the bass player occasionaly was booked solo as Man’s Recovery Project.
Also, you can still modify any of these nouns with additional words and still keep the gimmick. You could be “Aluminum Aircraft” or whatever.
Also, “albatross” is singular and plural, though “albatrosses” is also an accepted pluralization. But don’t rip off the band name “an albatross” (sometimes known as “anal batross”)
i like pants.
I like “kamperpants”
haha, i really like “man’s recovery project.”
I can’t claim that I thought these up myself, but things that might work even if they’re not singular and plural…
scissors, trousers, spirits, offspring, spaghetti, pliers, offspring, media, graffiti, headquarters
I’m impressed with all the words you have. I was thinking how technically “The Capitalist Youth” counts for this gimmick. I also thought of a series of words that would work, but not be desirable names:
The accepted, the rejected, the excepted, the murdered, etc…
I don’t know. I like “aircraft,” and I could see using “sheep,” or “media” somehow. But I don’t know. Did I tell you how I thought “The Native Baltimorians” would be a good performing name?
I am not a fan of pants or kamperpants, sorry.