The Plural of ‘Time Out’ is ‘Time Outs’
The term “time out” was first recorded in 1896 in relation to football. Unfortunately, teams don’t get a single time out per half or per game. This has lead to over a century of debate as to what the proper plural of “time out” actually is. In preparation for the upcoming football season, Hit Him Again is here to set the record straight.
There are two ways that the plural could be formed: “time outs” and “times out” - the latter of which makes you seem more intelligent.
The initial problem with determining which of these two is correct is that the term “time out” can appear in three different forms, all of which have different style rules. There is “time out”, “time-out”, and even “timeout.” Let’s tackle each of these.
“Time Out” and “Time-Out”
The Chicago Manual of Style states that “hyphenated and open compounds are regularly made plural by the addition of the plural inflection to the element that is subject to the change in number.” This requires a deeper understanding of the compound noun. Is the essence of a time out a “time” or an “out?” Does the coach need more “times” or more “outs.” It’s probably easier to understand the usage of “out” as being similar to “away” or “off” - as “out” is probably prepositional in nature. When you need more “time off” or “time away,” the essence is the time. This would suggest that the proper plural is “times out.”
However, the analysis doesn’t stop there, as at least one source defines the plural as “time outs.” The “element that is subject to change in number” is in fact the entire “time out.” In football, a time out has its own meaning. It’s its own unit, inseparable in its parts. Even so, such analysis doesn’t advance to a resolution in the face of other plurals such as “courts martial” and “attorneys general.”
“Timeout”
This is the easiest form to make plural, as the only possible formation is “timeouts.” So when the word is spoken, should we assume a speaker is using “timeout” or “time out.” Does this mean that both “times out” and “timeouts” are proper?
Resolving the Conflict
Because “time out” first appeared in football, the sport defined the word. The plural that is most technically correct will necessarily be written in football rule books. The NFL rulebook, in the Timing section, paragraph 5 reads:
Each team is allowed three time outs each half.
The 2007 NCAA rulebook reads:
Each team is entitled to three charged team timeouts during each half.
So there you have it. The spoken plural, whether dealing with NCAA or NFL football is “time outs.” Don’t let sportscasters give you any other impression.
(5, 1 votes)
Loading ...Related Posts
- House Passes ‘Stimulus’ 244-188, Spites Face
- Hit Him Again Launch
- The Single April Post
- Hit Him Again One-Week Hiatus
- Oklahoma Wins HitHimAgain Lamest License Plate Award
No Responses to “The Plural of ‘Time Out’ is ‘Time Outs’”
No comments yet