Today we investigate a question that has perplexed many a computer user: what do you call more than one of those small mobile manual devices that controls the movement of the cursor and selects computer functions? Everyone knows that one of those computer input devices is called a mouse, but should you refer to several as mice or mouses?

The computer mouse was created in the early 1960s by inventor Douglas Engelbart. The device didn't become popular until the mid-1980s, when personal computers became practical and affordable. Questions of proper mousing nomenclature developed soon thereafter.

Since English has no governing body or ruling board that dictates spelling and usage, questions about appropriate plurals are generally settled in the court of popular opinion. The forms that come to be used most often are usually the ones that are accepted as standard. But in this case, the jury is still out.

Some folks think it would be nice to adopt a plural that clearly distinguishes the furry rodents from the technical mouse. They prefer mouses, a non-standard plural for the mammal. Unfortunately for them, studies of actual usage show that most people -- computer professionals and novices alike -- seem to be settling on mice as the plural of choice.

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