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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Feds vs. feds

Feds vs. feds

Strictly as a short form for anything federal, usually in crime stuff, the term “feds” or “Feds” has me asking whether it’s major or minor case. It’s not a proper noun, and it’s vernacular so, lower case, right?
  

Top answer

com/Feds The Fed is also commonly used for "The Federal Reserve" - the US central reserve bank. In this case, it is singular with a capital F. Kind regards, Michael

  • com/Feds The Fed is also commonly used for "The Federal Reserve" - the US central reserve bank.
  • In this case, it is singular with a capital F.
  • Kind regards, Michael
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10 Answers
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It looks like it's lower case - see
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Feds

The Fed is also commonly used for "The Federal Reserve" - the US central reserve bank. In this case, it is singular with a capital F.

Kind regards, Michael
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Yes, that's never at issue, but for all the rest it would be lower case, correct? "Hey, the fed're here, get ready!" Etc.
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OK. "feds" = "federal agents" - "the feds are here". You can't contract to "feds're"
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Actually you can contract if it's meant as dialogue. And my entry was a typo, it should have read "feds're".
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In writing dialogue, authors are entitled to a certain level of artistic licence in order to accurately convey the accent and character of the speaker. However, as the word "are" is normally an unstressed function word when spoken, there would be no difference between the pronunciation of "Feds are" and "Feds're". There is therefore no obvious artistic or stylistic reason to make this unusual co
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<<<<However, as the word "are" is normally an unstressed function word when spoken, there would be no difference between the pronunciation of "Feds are" and "Feds're".<<<<

Normally meaning according to proper speech. The contraction I refer to is due to certain regionalisms where there is a distinct difference in the pronunciation between the “feds are” and the “fe
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Hmm... if you're trying to express in writing differences between US accents in the articulation of the schwa sound, then I will defer to Americans. It's not something I would ever have picked up on from reading the word "Feds're", but then I am English. Best wishes, Michael
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<<<<<It's not something I would ever have picked up on from reading the word "Feds're", but then I am English.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Oh, interesting. I was curious why you found it strange. I thought you were a Yank like me. And being a New Yorker I tend to think everyone’s from or rotating around it.

This is my first v
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I think the schwa in standard American English is a bit closer to the /æ/ than in RP, in which case, you've got a clearer distinction between "people are" and "people're". But seriously, I've never seen anyone write "people're"!

On the upper case issue, if the feds are FBI agents, then perhaps "Feds" is excusable shorthand for "FBI agents". Greetings from Birmingham.

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