Bowlsful/ bowlfuls

‘Morning Ken
After a bit of googling, I’d say you both were.
I would have used ‘bowlfuls’ as you did, but thinking about it; ‘bowlsful’ makes more sense etymologically.
And if I were saying it, I would use the latter (I think!)

Autocorrect doesn’t like ‘bowlsful’ though!

Oh no! I’ve got that mixed up haven’t I? Sorry
It makes you head spin, doesn’t it!

Bowlsful. That’s my final answer

Bowls full!

Bowlfuls for me or ‘three bowls full’

Morning Fanny; thanks.
Yes I think bowlsful is right as the bowls are plural not the ful. If you see what I mean.
She also likes ‘on the weekend’ and not ‘at’.

Oh no! That sounds awful!
It’s a new thing isn’t it - ‘on the weekend’?
It sounds rather uneducated to me (excuse me if I sound snobby)

No I agree Fanny. I have crossed it out and said ‘ revert to original.

Definitely bowls full for me like daughters in law and not daughter in laws.

Bowlsful - same as Soda
Maybe easier to have written that he ate three full bowls of soup?

Bowls full. It is the bowl that is in the plural but how ever many there are they are only each full once surely. I agree with Georgesgran......that would have prevented so much confusion.

When in doubt, I am known to take the easy way out
- as in why specify the bowls were full anyway?
“He ate three bowls of soup” sounds fine to me - like “Come round for a bowl of soup”
Sorted

You were correct OP. Bowlsful.

Whether bowlfuls is right or not it certainly sounds and looks ugly to me.

I prefer at the weekend too.
But could say "on weekends they..." for example

A 'bowlful', written as one word, is a singular noun.

Thinking about it, I don't think it makes sense to pluralize a singular (unhyphenated) noun by inserting an 's' in the middle, so i would make the plural 'bowlfuls', adding the 's' on the end in exactly the same way as I would with any other quantity, such as ounces, gallons etc.

Alternatively, I might go with 'three bowls full', or 'three full bowls'.

But I admit that I've regularly said 'bowlsful / 'cupsful' etc. in everyday speech, always slightly unsure of which was correct but have never stopped to think about it properly until now. 😁

The cookery mistress at school always insisted on spoonsful; don't remember any discussion about bowls.

It's a "bowls full" from me!

Eliminate the problem by saying "bowls of..."

I'd say bowlsful is right 'technically' but bowlfuls is 'right' in that it's probably what most people say if they don't say bowls of.

I think I’d just say 3 bowls of soup. Or ‘3 full bowls’ would avoid the dilemma.

If the fulness of the bowls needs to be stressed one could say three brimming bowls of soup.

Bowls full definitely. The other way to me would be the American way. (I cannot settle to read any American book - am I allowed to say that?).

I'd change my proof reader.
Proofreader.

I would just say he had three bowls of soup

bowl is a funny word isn't it?