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Death can be fatal.

orson, tyke

Which is correct "The wages of sin is death" or

"The wages of sin are death"

Spam at 1315 reported.

Hi grunger.

In the original Greek in the Bible, it says "the wages of sin - death" with no is/are.

However, the rule is the verb should agree with what comes before and not afterwards. So "the wages of sin are death".

But if we turn it round, it would have to be: "Death is the wages of sin".

Crosswords are my favourite pastime.
My favourite pastime is crosswords.

@grunger #1300

I have always wondered about Thomas Hood's pun in "Faithless Sally Brown" (1826)

“Come, girl,” said he, “hold up your head,
He ’ll be as good as me;
For when your swain is in our boat
A boatswain he will be.”

What pronunciation did he intend?

Orson

Thanks for that. I didn't know there was a rule, but it makes sense, and, like your example, it sounds right.

I suppose it is different in maths where if a = b+c, b+c = a

nemo

What a lovely pun! I didn't know the poem, although I have heard the last 2 lines occasionally. I suppose that Sally could not wait for years, and the romance might not have continued anyway. Nowadays a girl might.

I imagine the poet wanted it pronounced boatswain rather than bosun, but perhaps bosun in an earlier line.

Interesting, perhaps somebody (ChrisE ?) could tell us.

If it is boatswain, I would be pleased as that is how I used to pronounce it.

Hi orson,
"Wages" can be singular or plural.
When used figuratively it is usually regarded as a singular noun, hence its use in the Bible verse above.

Hi Pedagogue,

According to Fowler's Modern English Usage, "wages" as singular is an old usage that died out in the early 18th century. And according to Partridge's Usage and Abusage, it is an archaism. We might just as well write: the wages of sinne...

It might go past unnoticed in a figurative sense because it comes after the word sin - "sin is" rather than "sin are". But I cannot think of a sentence in which "wages is" sounds correct.

My wages is too low?
Wages has not risen this year?

Hi again orson,
Cheers for the references.
"The wages of sin are death"