I have been having a good (online) dialogue with Susan Weiner about this subject.
First: Susan offers all types of consulting services relating to financial writing, and her website is definitely worth visiting (http://www.investmentwriting.com). And, in full disclosure, she has done some work for my employer, Boston Private Bank and Trust Company.
Given her profession, questions like what the correct plural spelling of the US government debt is interesting to her (and to me!).
To my mind, if someone buys a lot Treasury bonds issued by the government, the plural should be "Treasurys" not "Treasuries" but it appears (once again) that I am in the minority.
My argument is that a room full of representatives of, say, the Murphy family is the "Murphys" not "Murphies". However, as the attached note from Susan indicates, both seem to be acceptable, but most financial journalist prefer Treasuries.
On to other weighty issues!
Investment Writing: Treasurys vs. Treasuries -- Which is the right spelling?
Thank you for highlighting my post, David!
ReplyDeleteYou may be in the minority, but you've got some high-powered company when you spell the plural as "Treasurys" with a y. When The Wall Street Journal opts for Treasurys, even word geeks pay attention.