| Grammatists - help please: 16:45 - Mar 9 with 1438 views | NthQldITFC |
Cyclist's willy OR Cyclists' willy?
I've been pondering on that whilst pushing it home.
Where's the ownership? |  |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 16:48 - Mar 9 with 1410 views | BlueBoots |
It's writer's cramp, so I'm guessing it obeys the same rule! |  |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 16:51 - Mar 9 with 1380 views | NthQldITFC |
| Grammatists - help please: on 16:48 - Mar 9 by BlueBoots |
It's writer's cramp, so I'm guessing it obeys the same rule! |
I thought as much, ta. Not two things you'd necessarily want at the same time! | |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 19:41 - Mar 9 with 1284 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
The first one. Unless several cyclists have one willy.
I'd love to know why you were writing about a cyclist's willy, or maybe I wouldn't?! |  |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 19:48 - Mar 9 with 1262 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Grammatists - help please: on 19:41 - Mar 9 by The_Flashing_Smile |
The first one. Unless several cyclists have one willy.
I'd love to know why you were writing about a cyclist's willy, or maybe I wouldn't?! |
He’s been pushing a willy home by the sounds of it. Now I imagine him to be like this:
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| Grammatists - help please: on 20:11 - Mar 9 with 1237 views | Lord_Lucan |
| Grammatists - help please: on 19:41 - Mar 9 by The_Flashing_Smile |
The first one. Unless several cyclists have one willy.
I'd love to know why you were writing about a cyclist's willy, or maybe I wouldn't?! |
Yes.
You form the possessive by adding an apostrophe and an "s" |  |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 20:24 - Mar 9 with 1198 views | NthQldITFC |
| Grammatists - help please: on 19:41 - Mar 9 by The_Flashing_Smile |
The first one. Unless several cyclists have one willy.
I'd love to know why you were writing about a cyclist's willy, or maybe I wouldn't?! |
Well, I suppose I was thinking that the condition is one which belongs to cyclists in the plural, therefore the apostrophe follows the plural form, and the willy is kind of nominal rather than an instance.
Anyway, it was pretty cold on the way home, so it wasn't really a big issue. | |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 21:22 - Mar 9 with 1111 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Grammatists - help please: on 20:24 - Mar 9 by NthQldITFC |
Well, I suppose I was thinking that the condition is one which belongs to cyclists in the plural, therefore the apostrophe follows the plural form, and the willy is kind of nominal rather than an instance.
Anyway, it was pretty cold on the way home, so it wasn't really a big issue. |
Ah! Well if it's a condition then yes, cyclists' willy is correct.
I hope you sleep comfortably! | |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 08:05 - Mar 10 with 953 views | nodge_blue |
| Grammatists - help please: on 21:22 - Mar 9 by The_Flashing_Smile |
Ah! Well if it's a condition then yes, cyclists' willy is correct.
I hope you sleep comfortably! |
AI said:
The correct placement of the apostrophe depends on whether you're referring to one cyclist or multiple cyclists:
One cyclist: "Cyclist's willy" (possessive singular)
Multiple cyclists: "Cyclists' willies" (possessive plural) |  |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 08:14 - Mar 10 with 935 views | solemio |
This is nothing to do with grammar. It is punctuation. |  | | |
| Grammatists - help please: on 08:19 - Mar 10 with 928 views | NthQldITFC |
| Grammatists - help please: on 08:14 - Mar 10 by solemio |
This is nothing to do with grammar. It is punctuation. |
Fair point. I'll tell her she can stop worrying about my willy and get on with her knitting then. | |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 08:46 - Mar 10 with 905 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Grammatists - help please: on 08:05 - Mar 10 by nodge_blue |
AI said:
The correct placement of the apostrophe depends on whether you're referring to one cyclist or multiple cyclists:
One cyclist: "Cyclist's willy" (possessive singular)
Multiple cyclists: "Cyclists' willies" (possessive plural) |
This is what I said! | |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 08:50 - Mar 10 with 883 views | NthQldITFC |
| Grammatists - help please: on 08:05 - Mar 10 by nodge_blue |
AI said:
The correct placement of the apostrophe depends on whether you're referring to one cyclist or multiple cyclists:
One cyclist: "Cyclist's willy" (possessive singular)
Multiple cyclists: "Cyclists' willies" (possessive plural) |
Yeah well that's the normal arrangement of course, but when it's a sort of semi-recognised (actually, perhaps 'semi' is not the most apt prefix here) condition then are we referring to the group who tend to suffer from it, or are we referring to the individual who is suffering from it?
Wears Suzi Dent when you knead her? (I like that!) [Post edited 10 Mar 2025 8:51]
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| Grammatists - help please: on 08:51 - Mar 10 with 881 views | Keno |
Well I am shocked that with all this mention of Willys in the thread Phil has pulled it yet |  |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 08:58 - Mar 10 with 866 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Grammatists - help please: on 08:50 - Mar 10 by NthQldITFC |
Yeah well that's the normal arrangement of course, but when it's a sort of semi-recognised (actually, perhaps 'semi' is not the most apt prefix here) condition then are we referring to the group who tend to suffer from it, or are we referring to the individual who is suffering from it?
Wears Suzi Dent when you knead her? (I like that!) [Post edited 10 Mar 2025 8:51]
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You're the one writing about it, you tell us! | |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 08:59 - Mar 10 with 865 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Grammatists - help please: on 08:51 - Mar 10 by Keno |
Well I am shocked that with all this mention of Willys in the thread Phil has pulled it yet |
Balls. | |
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| Grammatists - help please: on 09:02 - Mar 10 with 861 views | nodge_blue |
| Grammatists - help please: on 08:50 - Mar 10 by NthQldITFC |
Yeah well that's the normal arrangement of course, but when it's a sort of semi-recognised (actually, perhaps 'semi' is not the most apt prefix here) condition then are we referring to the group who tend to suffer from it, or are we referring to the individual who is suffering from it?
Wears Suzi Dent when you knead her? (I like that!) [Post edited 10 Mar 2025 8:51]
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If you were generally talking about the condition then it is in the singular as you only refer to one Willy and not willies. | |
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