Talk:friends list

RFD discussion
Really just a list of friends. Sense 4 of friend would seem to cover this use. -- Liliana • 16:34, 17 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Delete, I've also come across buddies list. This is not an idiomatic use of friends or of list. Mglovesfun (talk) 18:16, 17 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Delete : And, surely, it ought to be friends' list? Furius (talk) 00:16, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
 * No, it's not a list owned or possessed by friends. Equinox ◑ 00:22, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
 * But it's a list of friends - shouldn't it be a partative genitive? Furius (talk) 00:47, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Compare something like "favorites bar" or "bookmarks menu" in a Web browser. It is a bar of favorites, not one belonging to them. Equinox ◑ 00:51, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Comment: it is pretty obvious what friends list means, but it may need an explanation why people call it so, not list of friends or friend list. It is a long trend of English to avoid of in a compound and to use a noun adjunct instead (I have explained it in of), and I think it is a recent trend to use a regular plural form as a noun adjunct instead of singular. Google Ngram gives several interesting results:
 * list of friends,friend list,friends list
 * list of guests,guest list,guests list
 * list of students,student list,students list
 * list of properties,property list,properties list
 * list of items,item list,items list
 * list of numbers,number list,numbers list
 * list of names,name list,names list


 * Friends list and students list have different trends from others, which suggests they have narrower senses, probably a list of friends on network software and a list of all students in a school in question respectively. — T AKASUGI Shinji (talk) 07:03, 21 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Keep. It's called a "friends list" rather than a "friend list" that violates a typical rule of English grammar. You don't ever refer to a "50 cents arcade game" or a "four wheels drive". 4.238.2.100 04:25, 28 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Delete. "friends list" does not mean a list of friends, but a list called "friends" and therefore does not violate English grammar. --WikiTiki89 07:23, 28 November 2012 (UTC)


 * I disagree with that explanation. Is a "games room" a room called games, or a room for games? Equinox ◑ 10:23, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
 * I never researched the subject, but I wouldn't be surprised if it originated from a room called "games" (presumably because it was for games). The proper compound "game room" is also common. --WikiTiki89 11:20, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
 * IP is just wrong on this issue, plurals can be used in attributive form, for example we have Leeds Children's Circus adults session (to avoid saying 'adult session' which could be interpreted in a different way). Mglovesfun (talk) 17:13, 28 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Keep. Also occurs as friendslist, which to me indicates some people regard it as a specific feature of social-networking sites, MMORPGS, etc., rather than just a list of friends. Even "friends" in the Facebook sense. After all, I could create a list of some Facebook "friends" interested in, say, helping me start a letter-writing campaign, but it wouldn't be the same thing as my Facebook friends list. Astral (talk) 02:25, 29 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Speedy keep per COALMINE. - -sche (discuss) 19:02, 29 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Speedy kept per COALMINE / HOUSE_WALL. - -sche (discuss) 02:52, 30 November 2012 (UTC)