[Grammar] Position of adjectives: "scary old Harry" or "old scary Harry"

[naweewra]

Hello,

I'm a little bit confused. Should it be:

a) Scary Old Harry

b) Old Scary Harry

It is meant to be a name, that's why the "s" and "o" are capitalised.

And while we are at it, should it be:

a) Bold Little Jack

b) Little Bold Jack

Thank you.

Nawee

 

[Raymott]

Re: Position of adjectives: "scary old Harry" or "old scary Harry"

Hello,

I'm a little bit confused. Should it be:

a) Scary Old Harry

b) Old Scary Harry

It is meant to be a name, that's why the "s" and "o" are capitalised.

And while we are at it, should it be:

a) Bold Little Jack

b) Little Bold Jack

Thank you.

Nawee

If his name is Scary Harry, it should be "old Scary Harry", unless it's the start of a sentence. Otherwise, if his name is Harry, it's "scary old Harry". Otherwise, if his name is Old Scary Harry or Scary Old Harry, then that's how you write it.
Same for Jack. What's his actual name, and what is merely an adjective?

 

[SoothingDave]

Re: Position of adjectives: "scary old Harry" or "old scary Harry"

Scary Old Harry has a better flow to it.

 

[BrunaBC]

Re: Position of adjectives: "scary old Harry" or "old scary Harry"

Scary Old Harry has a better flow to it.

But only if you consider scary as an adjective, otherwise (in an attributive perpective) the adj must come before the noun.
I wouldn't say Michael talented Jackson. I'm sorry, perhaps I just didn't follow

 

[SoothingDave]

Re: Position of adjectives: "scary old Harry" or "old scary Harry"

"Scary" and "old" are both adjectives, aren't they? If I knew someone named Harry and I was going to nickname him with those two adjectives, I am saying that "Scary Old Harry" sounds better and flows off the tongue better than "Old Scary Harry."

 

[Raymott]

Re: Position of adjectives: "scary old Harry" or "old scary Harry"

"Scary" and "old" are both adjectives, aren't they? If I knew someone named Harry and I was going to nickname him with those two adjectives, I am saying that "Scary Old Harry" sounds better and flows off the tongue better than "Old Scary Harry."

Of course it does. But if he is already known widely as Scary Harry, and you merely want to describe him as old, he would have to be old Scary Harry. That's why I asked what he was known as, ie. What's is his name?

 

[naweewra]

Re: Position of adjectives: "scary old Harry" or "old scary Harry"

Thank you for all your answers.

The name is Moe. He is scary and he is old. So people call him... Old Scary Moe or Scary Old Moe. Like Little Red Riding Hood is so called because she likes to wear a red riding hood. I'm just trying to come up with a name like that for my story.

If his name is Moe, then Scary Old Harry sounds better?

I was trying to apply the adjective order: opinion size age shape colour... and I got confused after saying those two names over and over and they started to sound equally ok. So just checking with native speakers to be sure.

Thank you.

 

[Raymott]

Re: Position of adjectives: "scary old Harry" or "old scary Harry"

Thank you for all your answers.

The name is Moe. He is scary and he is old. So people call him... Old Scary Moe or Scary Old Moe. Like Little Red Riding Hood is so called because she likes to wear a red riding hood. I'm just trying to come up with a name like that for my story.

If his name is Moe, then Scary Old Harry sounds better?
If his name's Moe, why do you want to call him Harry?

I was trying to apply the adjective order: opinion size age shape colour... and I got confused after saying those two names over and over and they started to sound equally ok. So just checking with native speakers to be sure.

Thank you.

If you want to make up a name, Scary Old Moe sounds better and more natural than Old Scary Moe.