Do "Leafs" and "Leaves" mean something different to you? Grammatical Rule Non-withstanding?

For me, a tree has leaves, but a salad has leafs. The Toronto Maple Leafs team individual players are Maple Leafs. I am confident in (mis)using grammar in this way but wondering if other people do it too?

39 points · 35 comments · view on lemmy.world

35 Comments

valar@lemmy.ca · 46 pts · 40d (8 replies)

For me it's always leaves, except for the sports team because that is a proper noun and they made it that way.

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 40d (7 replies)

That makes sense! It's probably how most people use it. So when you are talking about the individual leaves in your salad, you would say leaves. To me the are salad leafs.

I think I also leaf through the pages of a book, if that's related.

valar@lemmy.ca · 15 pts · 40d (6 replies)

Oh that's a good point, in verb form it could also be leafs ("she leafs through the pages")

not_woody_shaw@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 40d (4 replies)

So leaves is a noun and leafs is a verb? So what is it that the Toronto Maple leafs thru? A book? A fat wad of cash, maybe?

sqw@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 39d (3 replies)

they leaf it all in the rink

not_woody_shaw@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 39d (2 replies)

Who's "they" in this context? The Toronto Maple sounds like a single tree.

sqw@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 39d (1 reply)

it's

not_woody_shaw@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 39d

IDK who's downvoting you, I'm upvoting this is fun!

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 40d

That's what I was missing!! Thanks :D

MushuChupacabra@piefed.world · 16 pts · 40d

Leaves are for photosynthesis.

For Canadians who hate the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans, Leafs is a source of schadenfeude.

lung@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 40d (1 reply)

Sometimes I see a flock of Nissan Leafs outside playing in the dirt

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 40d

Another good one!

Peppycito@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 40d (1 reply)

Because they are named after a singular Maple Leaf they are all Maple Leafs. Like people that play for the Oilers are Oilers and not Oileronians.

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 40d

Makes sense!

Mac@mander.xyz · 7 pts · 40d (3 replies)

Leafs: hockey team
Leaves: someone making an exit

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 40d

Finally a solution to Eats, Shoots, and Leafs.

pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 40d

True

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 39d

I call them the Maple leaves just to piss off their chronically sad fans.

kersploosh@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 40d

Plants have leaves and Toronto has Leafs.

portifornia@piefed.social · 4 pts · 40d

This leaves a stain in my brain.

sad_detective_man@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 40d

One is Canadians. The other are ex marijuana smokers

Godric@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 39d

Leaves: Fall every autumn, beautiful greens to oranges, bring joy to everyone

Leafs: Fail every spring, blue and white, bring joy to all hockey fans except their own

merde@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 40d (2 replies)

leafs is confusing for me 🤷

i see this in my dictionary ☞

(4chan, internet slang, humorous, sometimes pejorative, plural leafs) A Canadian person.

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 40d (1 reply)

Huh i never came across this usage before, good to know!

For me it's more like a tree has many leaves, but I can collect 5 leafs off the ground.

I am aware that this is Wrong. It just seems like a distinction to me about whether there are a vast generalized amount of leaves or a smaller, countable number of leafs.

sqw@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 39d

thats cool keep your distinction its a fun quirk to hold

hildegarde@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 40d (2 replies)

No, but patronize and patronize are pronounced very differently based on context.

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 39d (1 reply)

How so?

I thought it was pronounced the same whether or not you're visiting their restaurant, or making a big deal about it because you think it is beneath you.

BlackVenom@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 39d

Don't patronize me. Now did you patronize the bar or not?

DmMacniel@feddit.org · 2 pts · 40d (2 replies)

Make like a tree and leaf!

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 40d (1 reply)

I thought it was "get the hell outta here!"

leaf@meowing.twink.men · 2 pts · 34d

leafs is my username somewhere :neofox_baa:

rain_worl@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 33d (2 replies)

simples, leafs is failure to reference, leaves is multiple leafs

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 32d (1 reply)

What is failure to reference, hobbits?