Nit-picking

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Mon 14 Apr 2003 10:09
Nit-picking - Andrew-T
Why is it that when dictionaries give standard plurals such as galaxies, legacies, etc., whenever such words gain a capital letter and become attached to a vehicle, logic is abandoned and we find Galaxys and Legacys, which to me looks clumsy. Sometimes the greengrocer's apostrophe emerges as in Cavalier's; to say nothing of the examples in foreign languages, which are harder to call, I must admit. I agree that things like Xsara present problems (which are easily solved). Any suggestions?
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Mon 14 Apr 2003 10:17
Nit-picking - Mark (RLBS)
Unavoidable with a proper noun, I think. Two people called Andy do not become, I don't think, Andies.

I also find the difference between American and English when talking about cars grates a little bit.

English "This is the Escort from Ford" "The Escort is quiet economic"

American "This is Escort from Ford" "Escort is quite economic"

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Mon 14 Apr 2003 13:15
Nit-picking - Obsolete
Or even:

"This is the Escort from Ford" "The Escort is quiet economic al "

(Dives for cover.)
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Mon 14 Apr 2003 13:29
Nit-picking - maz64
And in some regions:

"This is the Escort from Fords"
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Mon 14 Apr 2003 13:35
Nit-picking - Obsolete
Or even:

"This is the Escort from Ford" "The Escort is qui te economic al "

Hohum.
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Mon 14 Apr 2003 16:01
Nit-picking - Altea Ego
this is absolute rubbish, the Escort from Ford or wherever was NEVER econimic(al)
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Mon 14 Apr 2003 18:48
Nit-picking - Dynamic Dave
this is absolute rubbish, the Escort from Ford or wherever was
NEVER econimic(al)


You're right. The Escort was purely comical !!
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Mon 14 Apr 2003 17:27
Nit-picking - Mark (RLBS)
Just you wait Leif, you'll make an error somewhere, and I'll be waiting !!
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Mon 14 Apr 2003 13:53
Nit-picking - Baskerville
Mark is right. Proper nouns are considered special cases for lexicographical purposes and tend not to be covered by standard dictionaries. Style guides (Chicago, MLA, etc.) usually advise treating them as regular plurals, so they are left unchanged when they are pluralized other than the addition of an "s," or "es." For example there are many galaxies in the universe (nonspecific category, so irregular plural), but many Galaxys (proper noun, specific category, regular plural) in the repairshop. To add more confusion proper nouns ending in an unpronounced "s," "z," "x," or "e" are left uninflected (no additional letters) in the plural. As in: "I saw three Fiat Ulysse broken down today."

Chris
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Mon 14 Apr 2003 17:28
Nit-picking - Mark (RLBS)
>>Mark is right.

Not a phrase you hear around here all that often !!
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Mon 14 Apr 2003 17:55
Nit-picking - Clanger
Quite ;-)


Darcy.

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