Apr 8, 2021
When writing the headline for Naj Wikoff’s column this week, our editor was faced with writing a shortened title for “Keene residents.” Based on what residents are called in the communities of Keene, New Hampshire and Keene, Texas, we settled on “Keenites.” But is that right? Could it be Keener? Keenian? Keenonian? Keenese? Keene Valley columnist Martha Allen asked some of her friends and didn’t find any definitive answers. One person said “townies,” but that could be any town. In an email, Allen wrote: “I think you might as well go with ‘Keenites.’ It sounds good, it’s clear what you mean, and it works for Texas and New Hampshire! When we talked, we wondered who made up the accepted names in the first place. Maybe a newspaper editor. You could be the initiator of ‘Keenite’ for New York!”