This is obviously inspired not so much form the Afrikaans but from the use of English words by Afrikaans speakers. In my mind at least, troupies are supposed to be "on the border" i. Wednesday November 11th , AM. Which can become plural: Two troopers were killed. I would never use the word "troop" as a plural. Not everything that is correct usage is actually usable, it seems. I like Linda's suggestion of "trooper" — especially for small numbers of soldiers. Like the author, I never knew what the word meant, until recently I am I think we should fix it.
Troop should mean at least 20 people, Troops would mean multiples of multiples. Wednesday November 11th , PM. When I was in the Army in the s, "troops" was always used to refer to a fairly large group, and "troop" was only occasionally used as a jocular and patently nonstandard reference to one soldier.
And, by the way, don't assume that we all agree that those who fight in an unnecessary war are doing something necessary. I agree with those who point out that the usage should be in the form: "There were ten troops, but one trooper stood out because of his skills. I am 73 as if that matters. In the UK different regiments have different names for soldiers. No one would ever call a Para a Trooper nor would they refer to them as Troops Unless the designator 'Special Forces' or 'Elite' were used.
The team is called a Squadron. When I think of a troop in terms of a group of people it usually applies to a Boy Scouts Troop. How ironic that I neglected to recall that a member of The Parachute Regiment would be called a Paratrooper. A group of them Paratroopers - However no one would use the term 'a Paratroop'. I've been irritated myself with the use of the term "troop" as a synonym for "soldier.
Infantry: now what's the etymology of that term? The problem is exacerbated because we civilians are generally unfamiliar with military terminology: there are troops, companies, regiments, brigades, divisions. It's not clear how many soldiers belong to each, and in any case, the terms and their numbers likely differ from one service to another, one time to another, and one country to another. This usage has always driven me crazy. Intuitively, a "troop" should only be used for a group of soldiers.
I, like many, used to listen to the news and hear " troops were deployed It still sounds wrong and makes no logical sense to me that it means soldiers. I put in another vote for "trooper. I'd much rather use trooper instead of troop to refer to one person you know but trooper does sound like a star wars person with a laser gun.
Squad - 9 to 10 soldiers. Typically commanded by a sergeant or staff sergeant, a squad or section is the smallest element in the Army structure, and its size is dependent on its function. Platoon - 16 to 44 soldiers. A platoon is led by a lieutenant with an NCO as second in command, and consists of two to four squads or sections.
Company - 62 to soldiers. Three to five platoons form a company, which is commanded by a captain with a first sergeant as the commander's principle NCO assistant.
An artillery unit of equivalent size is called a battery, and a comparable armored or air cavalry unit is called a troop. Thursday November 12th , AM. I wince with the rest of you on this usage, but concur that "trooper" would be a practical and far more appropriate word for an individual. The one catch, for me, with "trooper" is its homonym "trouper" with a "u" : a member of a troupe -- of actors, dancers, et simili.
This also reminds me of my ESL students in Japan and, indeed, native Japanese in general who have the same problem with, or misunderstanding of, the word "staff".
Typical answer to "Where do you work? And a "coworker", to me, is someone who orks cows Perhaps another example of use. Each trooper is trained in the use of a number of different weapons. I just know that I would not say that a highway troop pulled me over for speeding even if, in some context a troop is just one individual.
I mutter about that darn trooper who gave me a ticket but think of her as being a member of the troop of police that try to keep my highway safe. Friday November 13th , PM. While my service was som etime ago I left in , I distinctly remember superiors addressing their subordinate as troop, or refering to one as a troop.
Typically, as I recall, when addressed directly, it was rarely complimntary, e. Clark is a good troop. Monday November 16th , AM. As in, "Troop! On the double! Log in Sign Up.
Many people are confused about this word. More Words At Play. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Oct. Time Traveler. Love words? Need even more definitions? Ask the Editors 'Everyday' vs.
What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'? How 'literally' can mean "figuratively". Literally How to use a word that literally drives some pe We are currently experiencing playback issues on Safari. If you would like to listen to the audio, please use Google Chrome or Firefox. Neal Whitman PhD is an independent writer and consultant specializing in language and grammar and a member of the Reynoldsburg, Ohio, school board.
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