Craig,
Having lived in both the UK and the US, I would say it's more due to
the difference in American English vs. British English. I would never
say that one is more grammatical or "correct" than the other. I
personally have a preference for the American style.
American's tend to think of it as a "hornet nest," not that it
belongs just to one hornet, but that it's a type of nest specific to
a single type of insect, i.e., the "hornet." The British are more
literal-minded, which often comes through in the usage of the language.
Jeff
On Jul 12, 2010, at 9:55 AM, Craig Clarke wrote:
>> And in the nitpicking department, what's the deal with calling the
>> last Larsson
>
>> THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST here, instead of the
>> (correct) British
>> title of THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS' NEST?
>>
>> Is proper grammar too much of a threat to American masculinity or
>> something?
>> When was the last time you saw a nest belonging to one hornet?
>
> Interestingly, "hornet's nest" is defined at Merriam-Webster
> Online, so that may
> be part of the issue.
>
> http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hornet%27s%20nest
>
> Not meaning to be snarky here. I just know that the people who
> would have
> checked the spelling would've merely gone to the dictionary.
>
> As for whether it's a threat to American masculinity I can't say,
> except that
> the one time I stepped on a hornets' nest, I screamed like a little
> girl when
> they started stinging me. :)
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