Because I forget which, okay

[sarren]

[Poll #1427261]

Comments

[maharetr.livejournal.com]

*hits Google, because I can't remember either*

It depends on the sentence, but it sounds like it's either 'fifty-first century' or 'fifty-first-century' which... the second one looks weird. Whatever. Cite here (http://www.getintouni.com/Free/GrammarStyle/GrammarC/). :)

[kbpenguin.livejournal.com]

Either 51st-century pheromones or fifty-first-century pheromones, depending on whether you use numerals for numbers greater than nine or use words (latter is more common in fiction). Reason: entire phrase is a compound adjective modifying pheromones.

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

As per kbpenguin above: 51st-century should have a hyphen.

I find numerals >9 easier to read than writing it out in words, but am sure the words (with hyphens) are also or perhaps more correct.

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

Although I don't really think it looks strange without the hyphen - I think that's one of those errors that's so common now things almost look wrong when they're done right.

[montanaharper]

Per Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition (9.36):

Particular centuries are spelled out and lowercased.

the twenty-first century
the eighth and ninth centuries
the eighteen hundreds (the nineteenth century)

Dunno if that's right by Aussie rules, though. *g*

ETA: And of course, the above commenters have the right of it in that there needs to be a hyphen between first and century, as well, since the whole phrase modifies pheromones.

[sarren.livejournal.com]

Ah brilliant, thanks.

Just sos you know, us Aussies don't think we're too good to use proper English when writing. (speaking, yes) Unlike some countries. *g*