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What's the plural form of Game Boy Advance

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What's the plural form of Game Boy Advance

Old 02-09-03, 02:17 PM
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What's the plural form of Game Boy Advance

This thread is inspired by an article from the Onion from a while back about the plural form of the Whopper Junior.

So how do you pluralize the GBA? Obviously, the main noun here is "Boy" which, since the original GB, is modified by the adjective "Game." For the GBA, the "Advance" modifier is tacked on the end.

Most people will say "Game Boy Advances," but since "Advance" is just another modifier, I don't think it should get the "s." It would be more accurate to say "Game Boys Advance," since "Boy" is the noun.

P.S. Next time you go to Burger King, order X number of "Whoppers Junior" and see how the cashier looks at you.
Old 02-09-03, 02:25 PM
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i think game boys advance is correct.
Old 02-09-03, 03:03 PM
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Game Boys Advance sounds like a nerd army command
Old 02-09-03, 03:04 PM
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Gameboys Advance.

As for BK, I prefer to say "2 junior whoppers please"
Old 02-09-03, 03:23 PM
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GBA's
Old 02-09-03, 03:29 PM
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Actually, it would be Gameboy Advances or GBAs.
Old 02-09-03, 03:47 PM
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"I would like 3 Gameboys of the Advance type please."
Old 02-09-03, 04:34 PM
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Game Boy Advance is a proper noun, so when used as the subject of a sentence, the whole phrase would be the subject, not just "boy."

So it would be Game Boy Advances.
Old 02-09-03, 04:43 PM
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Sorry, I believe you are all incorrect. It would be Game Boy Advance handheld gaming systems or something of that nature. When using trademarks, the proper usage is as a modifier.

The classic example:

Wrong: Can you hand me some Kleenex?
Correct: Can you hand me some Kleenex tissues?
Wrong: Can you hand me a Kleenex?
Correct: Can you hand me a Kleenex tissue?
Old 02-09-03, 04:53 PM
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I sent Nintendo an email, so unless they just roll their eyes and delete the message, we'll get the official word when they reply.
Old 02-09-03, 05:08 PM
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"can i get 2 Game Boy Advanace systems?"
Old 02-09-03, 06:00 PM
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I only have one Game Boy, ever. So I am safe from such important discussions
Old 02-09-03, 06:59 PM
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Originally posted by Shuki
GBA's
Its what?

Kids today... just throw around apostrophes like they grow on trees.
Old 02-09-03, 07:11 PM
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Originally posted by joltaddict
Its what?

Kids today... just throw around apostrophes like they grow on trees.
Don't you mean tree's?
Old 02-09-03, 07:17 PM
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Dammit GBAs and trees dont possess nothing!!!
Old 02-09-03, 07:18 PM
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Originally posted by joltaddict
Dammit GBAs and trees dont possess nothing!!!
Shouldn't that be don't ?
Old 02-09-03, 07:21 PM
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No it shouldnt. Apostrohes are a communist conspiracy. Ill have no part of it.
Old 02-09-03, 07:36 PM
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When a proper noun has more than one word the plural goes on the end of the second word, no additional descriptor should be necessary.

Example:
How many John Smiths are there in the phone book?

Not:
How many John Smith humans are there in the phone book?
Not:
How many Johns Smith are there in the phone book?
Not:
How many John Smith's are there in the phone book?
Old 02-09-03, 07:59 PM
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Gameboy Advances sounds funny; 'advances' sounds like a verb. But if we take the entire phrase as the noun then that is the correct grammer. I wrote Gameboys advance because I took 'Advance' to be the modifier. I would prefer, simply, Gameboy Advance Systems.

I guess it sounds better with the new incarnation: Gameboy Advance SPs (or Gameboy Advance SP's, however you like to take your pluralization of abbreviations).
Old 02-09-03, 08:04 PM
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Originally posted by diacritic
Gameboy Advances sounds funny; 'advances' sounds like a verb. But if we take the entire phrase as the noun then that is the correct grammer. I wrote Gameboys advance because I took 'Advance' to be the modifier. I would prefer, simply, Gameboy Advance Systems.

I guess it sounds better with the new incarnation: Gameboy Advance SPs (or Gameboy Advance SP's, however you like to take your pluralization of abbreviations).
I agree about "advances" sounding like a verb, but so does "advance." If Nintendo had originally called it the "GameBoy Advanced", then there wouldn't be any question that the plural form would be "GameBoys Advanced."

I also agree that the official plural usage probably involves "systems" tacked onto the end. Like for the original NES, you wouldn't have two "Nintendos," but you'd have two "Nintendo Entertainment Systems."

Last edited by sdcrym; 02-09-03 at 08:21 PM.
Old 02-09-03, 10:53 PM
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the dead horse has been beat.
Old 02-09-03, 11:33 PM
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Old 02-09-03, 11:36 PM
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Old 02-09-03, 11:45 PM
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joltaddict, I think posting all those images is like beating a dead horse.
Old 02-10-03, 08:48 AM
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So what's the plural of Gameboy Advance SP?

Gameboy Advance SPs?


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