Is it "fringe" or "fringes" in the following sentence?
Pete guided his horse to Amanda Quill's little house on the fringes of town, next to the one-room schoolhouse where she taught.
Is it "fringe" or "fringes" in the following sentence?
Pete guided his horse to Amanda Quill's little house on the fringes of town, next to the one-room schoolhouse where she taught.
Not an author or editor but a town only has one fringe which would make 'fringes' the wrong word to use.
Fringe - singular
Fringes - plural
Pete guided his horse to Amanda Quill's little house on the fringes of town, next to the one-room schoolhouse where she taught.
You have a singular location mentioned. If it were the town in general, it would be plural.
A little research gave this: 'on the fringes' in figurative meanings, 'on the fringe' with a literal meaning (i.e. physical location).
merriam-webster
longman
stackexchange
From your first link:
Definition of on the fringe(s)
On the outer edge (of something) They lived on the fringe of the forest.
—often used figuratively. He has been working for years on the fringes of the entertainment industry.
The first example (fringe) would appear to fit better in the subject sentence. If the context surrounding the sentence (as yet unseen) was not designed to be literal, then fringes would fit better.
Yep, the difference seems to be between figurative and literal. A location is literal so that's why I deducted that in the given example it should be 'on the fringe'. But as Switch stated he could also use it in a figurative way.
On the outer edge (of something) They lived on the fringe of the forest.
—often used figuratively. He has been working for years on the fringes of the entertainment industry.
The fringe figure of Frodo always lived town's fringes, along with all the other fringe characters of questionable repute that Frieda appreciated so much. But alas, Frieda fussed with her dress's fringe so much on the long ride to the town's fringe, there was no fringe found when she arrived, much to the distress of the various fringe figures living on the fringe! :(
Pete guided his horse to Amanda Quill's little house on the fringes of town, next to the one-room schoolhouse where she taught.
You have a singular location mentioned. If it were the town in general, it would be plural.
Wouldn't the 'fringes' of town cover 360 degrees, in an equidistance from the town center, regardless of physical obstacles? As such, it's hardly either a specific nor a singular reference.
Now, if the story is describing the 'carriage with the fringe/fringes/fringing on top', then that's a completely different story. I believe that that alternate definition of 'fringe' is a plural noun, though I might be mistaken, confusing common regional and historic usages with actual dictionary definitions. :(
Wouldn't the 'fringes' of town cover 360 degrees, in an equidistance from the town center, regardless of physical obstacles? As such, it's hardly either a specific nor a singular reference.
Yes, it would, if it weren't modified by anything more specific. However, "Amanda Quill's little house" is a singular location even if it is on the fringe of town.
Now you all know why I'm unsure. I automatically wrote "fringes" and then while rereading I thought it must be "fringe" because it's on one side of town. But "fringe" doesn't sound right to my ear.
So maybe it's the figurative usage I'm seeking. I really don't know.
So maybe it's the figurative usage I'm seeking. I really don't know.
Since a figurative noun refers to a non-specific location (i.e. somewhere far away), it would always be singular, rather than plural (i.e. you're not describing ALL the fringe points, just the general concept of where the fringe point may lie in relation to the town).
One location would be fringe of town, while multiple would be fringes.
Examples:
Jim lived in a shack on the fringe of town.
The large wagon train spread out as it camped on the fringes of the small town to almost surround it.
One location would be fringe of town, while multiple would be fringes.
That's why I changed "fringes" to "fringe." It doesn't sound right to my ear, but I'm going with "fringe."
The large wagon train spread out as it camped on the fringes of the small town to almost surround it.
Sorry, but this sentence doesn't refer to multiple actual locations, but to the theoretical fringe zone surrounding the town, so it should be, IMHO, the singular "fringe".
this sentence doesn't refer to multiple actual locations
As you quoted,
almost surround
so it does refer to multiple locations, at least from the town's vieewpoint, so the plural would be the better choice.
this sentence doesn't refer to multiple actual locations
As you quoted,
almost surround
so it does refer to multiple locations, at least from the town's vieewpoint, so the plural would be the better choice.
Again, it most often refers to a 'zone' or radius, rather than a 'bunch' of separate places. As such, it's a rhetoric theoretical location, not found on any map.
But, once again, the ONLY time fringe vs. fringes comes up is whenever someone decides to dredge that overly cliched stable out of the depths of time, so the proper use of the term NEVER gets settled. It's essentially a 'one-phrase' word (at least as far as the one variant definition goes).
Either way, it's no skin off my nose how you use it. It's just annoying how many readers get routinely tripped up over the same usage, again and again and again.
Trust Oscar Hammerstein of OKLAHOMA! the lyricist who wrote "the surrey with the fringe on top". One top, one fringe.
"When I take you out, tonight, with me,
Honey, here's the way it's goin' to be:
You will set behind a team of snow white horses,
In the slickest gig you ever see!
Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry
When I take you out in the surrey,
When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top!
Watch that fringe and see how it flutters
When I drive them high steppin' strutters.
Nosey pokes'll peek thru' their shutters and their eyes will pop!
The wheels are yeller, the upholstery's brown,
The dashboard's genuine leather,
With isinglass curtains y' can roll right down,
In case there's a change in the weather.
Two bright sidelight's winkin' and blinkin',
Ain't no finer rig I'm a-thinkin'
You c'n keep your rig if you're thinkin' 'at I'd keer to swap
Fer that shiny, little surrey with the fringe on the top!
Aunt Eller: Would y' say the fringe was made a' silk?
Curly: Wouldn't have n' other kind but silk.
Laurey: Has it really got a team of snow white horses?
Curly: One's like snow, the others more like milk.
All the world'll fly in a flurry, When I take you out in the surrey,
When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top!
When we hit that road, hell fer leather,
Cats and dogs'll dance in the heather,
Birds and frogs'll sing all together and the toads will hop!
The wind'll whistle as we rattle along,
The cows'll moo in the clover,
The river will ripple out a whispered song,
And whisper it over and over:
Don't you wisht y'd go on forever?
Don't you wisht y'd go on forever?
Don't you wisht y'd go on forever and ud never stop
In that shiny, little surrey with the fringe on the top!
I can see the stars gettin' blurry,
When we ride back home in the surrey,
Ridin' slowly home in the surrey with the fringe on top!
I can feel the day gettin' older,
Feel a sleepy head near my shoulder,
Noddin', droopin' close to my shoulder, till it falls kerplop!
The sun is swimmin' on the rim of a hill;
The moon is takin' a header,
And jist as I'm thinkin' all the earth is still,
A lark'll wake up in the medder.
Hush, you bird, my baby's a-sleepin'!
Maybe got a dream worth a-keepin'
Whoa! you team, and jist keep a-creepin' at a slow clip clop.
Don't you hurry with the surrey with the fringe on the top!"
And if they have an accident and the surrey overturns, it will have the fringe on the bottom.
Trust Oscar Hammerstein of OKLAHOMA! the lyricist who wrote "the surrey with the fringe on top". One top, one fringe.
Once more, a decorative 'fringe' is a plural noun, typically referring to the multiple draping twisted-threads hanging from a carriage (or house top, for architectural fringe). As such, it's an alternate definition of fringe, indicating 'somewhere far away' (i.e. an actual physical or rhetorical spot or distance).
I'd used fringes, but I'm English and the correct user of the language ;)
I'm not English but both the Collins and Cambridge dictionaries agree with example phrases that use either. I'm not sure how to get an exact ruling from that.
Collins:
3. countable noun [usu on the N of n]
To be on the fringe or the fringes of a place means to be on the outside edge of it, or to be in one of the parts that are farthest from its centre.
...black townships located on the fringes of the city. [+ of]
They lived together in a mixed household on the fringe of a campus.
Cambridge:
fringe noun [C] (EDGE)
C2
the outer or less important part of an area, group, or activity:
the southern fringe of the city
the radical fringes of the party
He attended several of the fringe meetings at the conference.
(I added bold)
It even seems that UK and US English agree :D
...black townships located on the fringes of the city. [+ of]
They lived together in a mixed household on the fringe of a campus.
Townships is plural so fringes
Household is singular so fringe
...black townships located on the fringes of the city. [+ of]
They lived together in a mixed household on the fringe of a campus.
Townships is plural so fringes
Household is singular so fringe
'on the fringes' refers to the (one) city so that still doesn't explain the mixed use of fringe and fringes. I get the feeling that there is no fixed rule and either can be used.
"black townships located on the fringes of the city." refers to multiple sides of the city so that's probably why fringes is used in the phrase.
In my language (Dutch) it's easier because we have different words for 'fringe' ('rand', singular) and sides/edges ('zijden'/'kanten',multiple) which is probably the reason why I saw 'fringes of the city' as incorrect.
'on the fringes' refers to the (one) city so that still doesn't explain the mixed use of fringe and fringes.
It comes down to are you referring to a singular place on the fringe of the city, or multiple places on the fringes of the city.
'on the fringes' refers to the (one) city so that still doesn't explain the mixed use of fringe and fringes. I get the feeling that there is no fixed rule and either can be used.
Once more, the singular/plural uses are specifically tied to the actual vs. figurative uses of the term, which is often impossible to determine which the specific author was thinking at the time. Thus there is both a clear specific definition, and non-definitive usages.
It's a difficult term to parse in real-world uses, so I'd concentrate on keeping your use of the term consistent throughout any story you use it in. Once readers figure out which usage you're using, they won't need to question each reference (unless of course, you purposely confuse them by refusing to use a consistent usage of the term).
Neither - it's outskirts
If this is a western, then fringe is something frilly worn by women. Real men on horses go to the edge of town, or the outskirts of town.
:)
Is it "fringe" or "fringes" in the following sentence?
Pete guided his horse to Amanda Quill's little house on the fringes of town, next to the one-room schoolhouse where she taught.
Real men on horses go to the edge of town, or the outskirts of town.
Where the women in their frilly fringe parasols fear to tread without an armed escort.
little house on the fringes of town,
"edge" works!
So does 'outskirts', 'outlying' or 'distant' areas. Sadly, fringe is such a nebulous concept, it's never enjoyed widespread popular usage other than as a cliche for 'olden times'.
other than as a cliche for 'olden times'.
The story takes place in olden times so it's perfect.
fringe is an edge or boundry to hing physical
fringes are the decorative hanging threads of a garment