diff --git a/plugins/Alias.py b/plugins/Alias.py
index e6a41b06c..a1dbf08d1 100644
--- a/plugins/Alias.py
+++ b/plugins/Alias.py
@@ -127,7 +127,10 @@ def makeNewAlias(name, alias):
                 return args[idx-1]
             alias_ = dollarRe.sub(replace, alias_)
         self.Proxy(irc, msg, callbacks.tokenize(alias_))
-    f.__doc__ ='<an alias, %s arguments>\n\nAlias for %r'%(biggestDollar,alias)
+    f.__doc__ ='<an alias, %s %s>\n\nAlias for %r' % \
+                (biggestDollar,
+                 utils.pluralize(biggestDollar, 'argument'),
+                 alias)
     #f = new.function(f.func_code, f.func_globals, name)
     return f
 
diff --git a/plugins/FunCommands.py b/plugins/FunCommands.py
index 93441a475..45503bae7 100644
--- a/plugins/FunCommands.py
+++ b/plugins/FunCommands.py
@@ -461,13 +461,17 @@ class FunCommands(callbacks.Privmsg):
                      childUser, childSystem, childUser + childSystem,
                      (user+system+childUser+childSystem)/timeRunning,
                      world.threadsSpawned,
-                     world.threadsSpawned == 1 and 'thread' or 'threads',
-                     activeThreads, world.commandsProcessed,
-                     world.commandsProcessed == 1 and 'command' or 'commands')
+                     utils.pluralize(world.threadsSpawned, 'thread'),
+                     activeThreads,
+                     world.commandsProcessed,
+                     utils.pluralize(world.commandsProcessed, 'command'))
         irc.reply(msg, response)
 
     def uptime(self, irc, msg, args):
-        "takes no arguments"
+        """takes no arguments.
+
+        Returns the amount of time the bot has been running.
+        """
         response = 'I have been running for %s.' % \
                    utils.timeElapsed(time.time() - world.startedAt)
         irc.reply(msg, response)
diff --git a/plugins/FunDB.py b/plugins/FunDB.py
index 5fe83a970..602a3f190 100755
--- a/plugins/FunDB.py
+++ b/plugins/FunDB.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def tableExists(db, table):
     try:
         cursor.execute("""SELECT * from %s LIMIT 1""" % table)
         return True
-    except DatabaseError:
+    except sqlite.DatabaseError:
         return False
 
 tableDict = {
@@ -153,9 +153,13 @@ class FunDB(callbacks.Privmsg):
         cursor = self.db.cursor()
         started = int(world.startedAt)
         cursor.execute("""INSERT INTO uptime VALUES (%s, NULL)""", started)
+        self.db.commit()
         def f():
+            db = makeDb(dbFilename)
+            cursor = db.cursor()
             cursor.execute("""UPDATE uptime SET ended=%s WHERE started=%s""",
                            int(time.time()), started)
+            db.commit()
         atexit.register(f)
 
     def die(self):
@@ -163,18 +167,6 @@ class FunDB(callbacks.Privmsg):
         self.db.close()
         del self.db
 
-    def _pluralize(self, string, count, verb=None):
-        if verb is None:
-            if count == 1:
-                return string
-            else:
-                return '%ss' % string
-        else:
-            if count == 1:
-                return ('is', string)
-            else:
-                return ('are', '%ss' % string)
-
     def bestuptime(self, irc, msg, args):
         """takes no arguments.
 
@@ -352,9 +344,8 @@ class FunDB(callbacks.Privmsg):
             total = int(cursor.fetchone()[0])
         except ValueError:
             irc.error(msg, 'Unexpected response from database')
-        (verb, table) = self._pluralize(table, total, 1)
-        irc.reply(msg, 'There %s currently %s %s in my database' %\
-            (verb, total, table))
+        irc.reply(msg, 'There %s currently %s %s in my database' % \
+                  (utils.be(total), total, utils.pluralize(total, table)))
 
     def dbget(self, irc, msg, args):
         """<lart|excuse|insult|praise> <id>
@@ -406,8 +397,9 @@ class FunDB(callbacks.Privmsg):
         else:
             (add,req,count) = cursor.fetchone()
             reply = '%s #%s: Created by %s. last requested by %s, requested '\
-                ' a total of %s %s' % (table, id, add, req, count,
-                self._pluralize('time',count))
+                    ' a total of %s %s' % \
+                    (table, id, add, req,
+                     count, utils.pluralize(count, 'time'))
             irc.reply(msg, reply)
 
     def lart(self, irc, msg, args):
diff --git a/plugins/Notes.py b/plugins/Notes.py
index eab8346f9..475845d5f 100644
--- a/plugins/Notes.py
+++ b/plugins/Notes.py
@@ -157,9 +157,9 @@ class Notes(callbacks.Privmsg):
                                 notes.to_id=users.id AND
                                 read=0""", name)
         unread = int(cursor.fetchone()[0])
-        s = 'You have %s unread note%s ' \
+        s = 'You have %s unread %s; ' \
             '%s that I haven\'t told you about before now..' % \
-            (unread, unread == 1 and ';' or 's;', unnotified)
+            (unread, utils.pluralize(unread, 'note'), unnotified)
         irc.queueMsg(ircmsgs.privmsg(msg.nick, s))
         cursor.execute("""UPDATE notes
                           SET notified=1
diff --git a/src/utils.py b/src/utils.py
index 476b3bbf0..6535f8166 100755
--- a/src/utils.py
+++ b/src/utils.py
@@ -286,4 +286,20 @@ def wrapLines(s):
         L.append(textwrap.fill(line))
     return '\n'.join(L)
 
+plurals = {}
+def pluralize(i, s):
+    if i == 1:
+        return s
+    else:
+        if s in plurals:
+            return plurals[s]
+        else:
+            return s + 's'
+
+def be(i):
+    if i == 1:
+        return 'is'
+    else:
+        return 'are'
+
 # vim:set shiftwidth=4 tabstop=8 expandtab textwidth=78: