Euro vs euros: why translators need each other

Every once in a while, I get a glimpse of some of the ways in which translators (and probably other obsessive “word people” too!) are different from the rest of the population, and thus why we need to stick together. Earlier this week, a French translation listserve that I belong to engaged in a lively discussion of whether, in English, the correct plural of “euro” (as in the currency denomination) is “euro” or “euros.” While a non-translator might feel hopelessly nit-picky for even thinking about this type of issue, the listserve members had clearly spent some time mulling it over even before the question came up. One member pointed out that the actual bank notes say “100 euro” “50 euro,” etc. and that other currencies (yen, yuan) are invariable in the plural (1 yen/1,ooo yen, etc.); others pointed to the Guardian style guide’s use of “euros” (“he will be fined a few thousand euros”) and to the fact that the New York Times uses “euros” as well. Yet another example of the value of associating with like-minded translators!