A set of parents?

Language English Grammar & Usage
1

Hello,

I was discussing things that come in pairs with my students and one student suggested ‘a pair of parents’. Logically speaking this seems correct - there are two of them after all. However it sounded wrong to me. I thought that a ‘set’ of parents sounded better.

Does anyone know what the correct word should be? Imagine that your biological parents got divorced and both remarried. Would you then have two sets of parents?

Thanks

2

An embarrassment of parents.

3

Thanks for the help. :unamused:

4

It’s correct (17 million Google hits also support it). Think “both sets of parents” talking about a married couple. Or “a set of twins”, “set of grandparents” and so on. But usually it seems that “a set of parents” refers to two parents being compared to others (like setS of parents) and not just the two of them standing there. I think that’s probably because duality is implied in the word “parents” (backed up by biology and tradition – though that could change over time.)

5

Also because “parents” are usually only referred to in the context of their children. The two of them standing there would just be “a couple” or whatever.