Friday, April 16, 2010

Whoppers Junior redux

Just heard the Safire plural* in real life!

Brief background: Wings are tied with Phoenix in the second game of their playoff series after dropping the first game. Announcers are discussing the relative importance of games at different stages of the playoffs. One announcer cautions that no game is really, really critical until you're facing elimination, but his main point is this: "Games 2 are important."

We talked a little bit last year (inconclusively) about how and whether and why "Game 7" and the like might be a count noun, but I don't think I've ever seen it slip over the Safire line: "Games 2," rather than "Game 2's." Others?

* And this just in: Diego from the corner with the requested citation! "William Safire orders two Whoppers Junior," The Onion, September 20, 2000.

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1 Comments:

Blogger Grammar Parrot said...

Never try to edit sports writers or commentators. You won't have time to do anything else!

8:18 AM, April 17, 2010  

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