19 April 2016

The word "citys" can be grammatically correct


This post will be of interest only to "grammar Nazis" and English majors (like me...).

Yesterday I ran across "citys" as a properly-used word (not a typo for "cities" or "city's.")  Ponder for a while under what circumstances that might be appropriate (the photo above is a clue), and no fair Googling.  The answer is beneath the fold...

As reported by ESPN:
And finally, a nod to the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves who have each won three straight after both started 0-9. Of all the teams to lose their first nine, only one other squad followed its season-opening streak with three wins. That was the 1871 Rockford (Illinois) Forest Citys, in their only year of existence in the National Association, a league that predates (and is not considered part of) Major League Baseball.
The photo comes from a story about the origins of Wisconsin's 1871 Greenbush Dead Citys.  Googling "citys" in quotes yields other examples.  I know there are several copyeditors who visit this blog; they may be able to cite additional circumstances where the word would be valid.

6 comments:

  1. charlieApril 19, 2016 at 10:55 AM

    I think another way it might be correct is if one is differentiating amongst the use of the word City. "The word city can have three different meanings, thus there are three distinct citys."

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    1. AnonymousApril 20, 2016 at 7:52 AM

      Although if you are using a word as a word, the correct thing to do is to put an apostrophe there: "three correct city's."

      As in, "You can crisp up your writing by eliminating unnecessary which's and that's."

      It's one of the VERY FEW times an apostrophe is used in the formation of a plural. (You also use it when pluralizing symbols, e.g., "The acknowledgment page had 15 TM's."

      Lurker111

      Delete
    2. soubriquetApril 21, 2016 at 7:23 AM

      Not sure I agree with Anonymous. A better usage would be "Three correct versions of the word 'city'.
      And 'crisping up' might be better left to the preparation of salad.

      Delete
  2. HumbabaApril 19, 2016 at 1:37 PM

    I love the quote "The guy who edited Hitler's speeches was a grammar nazi"

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    1. AnonymousApril 20, 2016 at 8:05 AM

      Indeed. A job for sycophants and those with paid-up life insurance.

      I have heard a contemporary of Hitler's state (on film) that Hitler would analyze his speeches based on audience reaction and edit them for the next time he would speak. So I'm not sure that there was, indeed, an editor for Hitler's speeches.

      Lurker111

      Delete
  3. DrifterDonApril 19, 2016 at 11:24 PM

    Check the Toronto Maple Leafs... not Leaves....

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