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VGCollect Site Stuff => Video Game Database Discussion => Topic started by: aliensstudios on November 29, 2019, 12:11:52 pm

Title: "Grey" or "Gray"? - Poll for Style Guide
Post by: aliensstudios on November 29, 2019, 12:11:52 pm
In our database, I think it's time to settle on a unified style for "grey" or "gray" for item descriptors. What I mean by this is how an item with a grey/gray colored variant should spell the word; should it be spelled with an "e" or an "a"? As of now, we have no unified approach, and we've got a mishmash of items in the database using both spellings.

● "Grey" spelling examples:
https://vgcollect.com/item/38526
https://vgcollect.com/item/9173
https://vgcollect.com/item/141567
https://vgcollect.com/item/72082

● "Gray" spelling examples:
https://vgcollect.com/item/9628
https://vgcollect.com/item/99844
https://vgcollect.com/item/63686
https://vgcollect.com/item/141558

It should go without saying, but if it doesn't, this will not apply to items where the official name of the descriptor on an item's packaging is "grey" or "gray".

● Example where "Grey" is the official descriptor, printed on the item's packaging:
https://vgcollect.com/item/120824

● Example where "Gray" is the official descriptor, printed on the item's packaging:
https://vgcollect.com/item/117954

For what it's worth, grey is the spelling commonly used in British English and gray is the spelling used in 'Murican English. It seems like as of now, gray with an a is the more common spelling in our database.
Title: Re: "Grey" or "Gray"? - Poll for Style Guide
Post by: mastafafik on November 30, 2019, 05:49:28 pm
Sometimes it is written on the box "Grey" and sometimes "Gray",  so it can't be the rule how we should write it in our database.
Title: Re: "Grey" or "Gray"? - Poll for Style Guide
Post by: aliensstudios on November 30, 2019, 06:47:26 pm
Sometimes it is written on the box "Grey" and sometimes "Gray",  so it can't be the rule how we should write it in our database.
If it's "grey" or "gray" on the packaging, that's how it'll be categorized since it's the official name, this is simply for entries where the color is used as a descriptor in parenthesis. There are examples and discussion in this topic (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10486.msg172256.html#msg172256)
Title: Re: "Grey" or "Gray"? - Poll for Style Guide
Post by: oldgamerz on November 30, 2019, 09:27:54 pm
Grey is how to spell the color Grey, when I was in elementary school so I voted for the correct spelling of the color,

according to the internet in the US it's spelled Gray not Grey. But from what I remember growing up in childhood school even in the United States in the 1990's the color was spelled Grey. But that old school though :-\

thats just my 2 cents

I could have been reading outdated books though. I mean this was back in 1993-1995 when I first started spelling this was before the internet became bigger



goggled it and came up with this below

Grey is the dominant spelling in European and Commonwealth English, although gray remained in common usage in the UK until the second half of the 20th century. Gray has been the preferred American spelling since approximately 1825, although grey is an accepted variant.
Title: Re: "Grey" or "Gray"? - Poll for Style Guide
Post by: zenimus on December 02, 2019, 06:03:52 pm
"Gray" = American English
"Grey" = British English

American English preserves a lot of the older spellings for words, whereas British English picked up a lot of French in its spelling in the 1800's.

Grey, colour, standardise... all from French influence.

Is British more proper because it's the native land, or is American correct for retaining original spellings?

Think hard enough and you'll realize the answer... :D
Title: Re: "Grey" or "Gray"? - Poll for Style Guide
Post by: tripredacus on December 10, 2019, 09:34:31 am
Rule added to Style Guide, under section "Games with variants to Box Art, Cart Art or Discs"
LMK if what I put in there is not clear or that it should be worded another way.

Quote
Color Descriptors. Colors should be in lower-case when used as descriptors unless that word is printed on the item.
- use "gray" for North American items and "grey" for items released outside of North America.