Billy Kingsley Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 When referring to multiple examples of the former Ford Motor Company brand, what is the proper way to pluralize Mercury? Is it Mercuries or Mercurys? My auto-correct is telling me it's the former, but that would make it the only brand I can think of where pluralizing the name changes the actual spelling of the brand name. I had too much time on my hands today and have been pondering this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Has to be Mercurys - surely, as that is the name of the car with an s added. I don't think you can change the name. The plural of Crossley is Crossleys not Crosslies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Little known fact. FMC bought the rights to the image of Winged Mercury from Kissel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Skelly Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 (edited) 6 hours ago, nzcarnerd said: Has to be Mercurys - surely, as that is the name of the car with an s added. I don't think you can change the name. The plural of Crossley is Crossleys not Crosslies. to add to the confusion, we have Crosleys (American) and Crossleys (British) Edited August 23, 2020 by Jim Skelly (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Like the Kiwi said, The difference is that a proper name does not change to "ies". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 You can have a pretty good time going to a Hudson meet and getting the guys to say wasps slowly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lebowski Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 If someone has a '55 Chevy Handyman and a '57 Chevy Handyman does he have two Handymans or Handymen? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 What is the plural of PULLMAN? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, Billy Kingsley said: When referring to multiple examples of the former Ford Motor Company brand, what is the proper way to pluralize Mercury? Is it Mercuries or Mercurys? My auto-correct is telling me it's the former, but that would make it the only brand I can think of where pluralizing the name changes the actual spelling of the brand name. I had too much time on my hands today and have been pondering this. The plural when referring to multiple Mercury’s is TOW TRUCK! 😁 Edited August 23, 2020 by edinmass (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 "What is the plural of PULLMAN?" George, the railroad car, or the town ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 3 minutes ago, padgett said: "What is the plural of PULLMAN?" George, the railroad car, or the town ? Don't forget the car..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30DodgePanel Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 The first post made me realize I needed my morning coffee... I suggest the same for you Billy... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said: You can have a pretty good time going to a Hudson meet and getting the guys to say wasps slowly. Here in the South they'd probably call them "Waustses"! Easier to just call 'em "stingers", no? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 1 hour ago, edinmass said: The plural when referring to multiple Mercury"s is TOW TRUCK! 😁 The comma indicates ownership not pluralism , as in "the Mercury's doors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 yes, but it's an apostrophe, not a comma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Hoopty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Smolinski Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 9 hours ago, nzcarnerd said: Has to be Mercurys - surely, as that is the name of the car with an s added. I don't think you can change the name. The plural of Crossley is Crossleys not Crosslies. Crosley only has 1 s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Smolinski Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 2 hours ago, padgett said: "What is the plural of PULLMAN?" George, the railroad car, or the town ? Don’t know about the plural, but the boss of Pullman is Mrs. Pullman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Smolinski Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 You’re all wrong on the Mercury plural. It’s Jupiter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 1 hour ago, bryankazmer said: yes, but it's an apostrophe, not a comma Correct, of course. I am a bit of a grammar Nazi but I am subject to occasional, f not frequent, error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Preparing an automotive newsletter, I'd had to consider this issue. I have seen old G. M. ads in which "Chevrolet" is pluralized as "Chevies," and in other ads it was "Chevys." I prefer the former, though G. M. used that method much less often, because it conforms with the rules of English. "Change the 'y' to 'i' and add es.' " Therefore, I would use "Mercuries." One magazine I know has "Quarterly" in the title. It would always be pluralized as "Quarterlies," not "Quarterlys." The plural of "Crosley" is properly "Crosleys" because there is a vowel before the final "y." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 The Pullman auto co had absolutely no connection to the Pullman Railroad Car company.I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTR Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Billy, how many other Billies you think there are on this board ? 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Skelly Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 1 hour ago, George Smolinski said: Crosley only has 1 s. I was thinking the same thing at first, but then I remembered a British car with a similar name which preceded the Crosley. I mentioned it in one of the first responses to Billy. Look it up on the Internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 16 hours ago, Billy Kingsley said: When referring to multiple examples of the former Ford Motor Company brand, what is the proper way to pluralize Mercury? I've thought about that too. Quote Is it Mercuries or Mercurys? My auto-correct is telling me it's the former.... Isn't it ironic that auto correct is incorrect when it comes to autos? 😄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 4 hours ago, George Smolinski said: You’re all wrong on the Mercury plural. It’s Jupiter. It's uranus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted August 23, 2020 Author Share Posted August 23, 2020 I am actually laughing out loud at some of these responses... I still don't know what the right answer is and I don't mind at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Is that a single Uranus or multiple Uranus’s??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 2 hours ago, plymouthcranbrook said: I was holding out for Mercuri Could be, Mr. Plymouth! But actually, a plural ending in "i" is from the Latin, when the singular form of the noun ends in "us." There are probably at least a few English nouns whose plurals are formed in that manner. Wow, we're covering a lot of language--some for the better, some for the worse--on this topic! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Smolinski Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 2 hours ago, SC38DLS said: Is that a single Uranus or multiple Uranus’s??? The plural is Uranii. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 7 hours ago, TTR said: Billy, how many other Billies you think there are on this board ? 😁 My Aunt Wilma went by "Billie" her whole life! 😺 She ran her own hair salon "Billie's Beauty Bar". In the 60s, B52s were her specialty (B52= beehive or bouffant). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 1 hour ago, George Smolinski said: The plural is Uranii. Or in vernacular, a-holes.🙈🙉🙊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 Reatta, Reattae. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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