diff --git a/pandas/tests/tseries/test_frequencies.py b/pandas/tests/tseries/test_frequencies.py
index 4bcd0b49db7e0..54d12317b0bf8 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/tseries/test_frequencies.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/tseries/test_frequencies.py
@@ -248,10 +248,9 @@ def test_anchored_shortcuts(self):
 
         # ensure invalid cases fail as expected
         invalid_anchors = ['SM-0', 'SM-28', 'SM-29',
-                           'SM-FOO', 'BSM', 'SM--1',
+                           'SM-FOO', 'BSM', 'SM--1'
                            'SMS-1', 'SMS-28', 'SMS-30',
-                           'SMS-BAR', 'SMS-BYR' 'BSMS',
-                           'SMS--2']
+                           'SMS-BAR', 'BSMS', 'SMS--2']
         for invalid_anchor in invalid_anchors:
             with tm.assert_raises_regex(ValueError,
                                         'Invalid frequency: '):
@@ -293,15 +292,11 @@ def test_get_rule_month():
 
     result = frequencies._get_rule_month('A-DEC')
     assert (result == 'DEC')
-    result = frequencies._get_rule_month('Y-DEC')
-    assert (result == 'DEC')
     result = frequencies._get_rule_month(offsets.YearEnd())
     assert (result == 'DEC')
 
     result = frequencies._get_rule_month('A-MAY')
     assert (result == 'MAY')
-    result = frequencies._get_rule_month('Y-MAY')
-    assert (result == 'MAY')
     result = frequencies._get_rule_month(offsets.YearEnd(month=5))
     assert (result == 'MAY')
 
@@ -310,10 +305,6 @@ def test_period_str_to_code():
     assert (frequencies._period_str_to_code('A') == 1000)
     assert (frequencies._period_str_to_code('A-DEC') == 1000)
     assert (frequencies._period_str_to_code('A-JAN') == 1001)
-    assert (frequencies._period_str_to_code('Y') == 1000)
-    assert (frequencies._period_str_to_code('Y-DEC') == 1000)
-    assert (frequencies._period_str_to_code('Y-JAN') == 1001)
-
     assert (frequencies._period_str_to_code('Q') == 2000)
     assert (frequencies._period_str_to_code('Q-DEC') == 2000)
     assert (frequencies._period_str_to_code('Q-FEB') == 2002)
@@ -358,10 +349,6 @@ def test_freq_code(self):
         assert frequencies.get_freq('3A') == 1000
         assert frequencies.get_freq('-1A') == 1000
 
-        assert frequencies.get_freq('Y') == 1000
-        assert frequencies.get_freq('3Y') == 1000
-        assert frequencies.get_freq('-1Y') == 1000
-
         assert frequencies.get_freq('W') == 4000
         assert frequencies.get_freq('W-MON') == 4001
         assert frequencies.get_freq('W-FRI') == 4005
@@ -382,13 +369,6 @@ def test_freq_group(self):
         assert frequencies.get_freq_group('-1A') == 1000
         assert frequencies.get_freq_group('A-JAN') == 1000
         assert frequencies.get_freq_group('A-MAY') == 1000
-
-        assert frequencies.get_freq_group('Y') == 1000
-        assert frequencies.get_freq_group('3Y') == 1000
-        assert frequencies.get_freq_group('-1Y') == 1000
-        assert frequencies.get_freq_group('Y-JAN') == 1000
-        assert frequencies.get_freq_group('Y-MAY') == 1000
-
         assert frequencies.get_freq_group(offsets.YearEnd()) == 1000
         assert frequencies.get_freq_group(offsets.YearEnd(month=1)) == 1000
         assert frequencies.get_freq_group(offsets.YearEnd(month=5)) == 1000
@@ -810,6 +790,12 @@ def test_series(self):
         for freq in [None, 'L']:
             s = Series(period_range('2013', periods=10, freq=freq))
             pytest.raises(TypeError, lambda: frequencies.infer_freq(s))
+        for freq in ['Y']:
+
+            msg = frequencies._INVALID_FREQ_ERROR
+            with tm.assert_raises_regex(ValueError, msg):
+                s = Series(period_range('2013', periods=10, freq=freq))
+            pytest.raises(TypeError, lambda: frequencies.infer_freq(s))
 
         # DateTimeIndex
         for freq in ['M', 'L', 'S']:
@@ -826,12 +812,11 @@ def test_legacy_offset_warnings(self):
                  'W@FRI', 'W@SAT', 'W@SUN', 'Q@JAN', 'Q@FEB', 'Q@MAR',
                  'A@JAN', 'A@FEB', 'A@MAR', 'A@APR', 'A@MAY', 'A@JUN',
                  'A@JUL', 'A@AUG', 'A@SEP', 'A@OCT', 'A@NOV', 'A@DEC',
-                 'Y@JAN', 'WOM@1MON', 'WOM@2MON', 'WOM@3MON',
-                 'WOM@4MON', 'WOM@1TUE', 'WOM@2TUE', 'WOM@3TUE',
-                 'WOM@4TUE', 'WOM@1WED', 'WOM@2WED', 'WOM@3WED',
-                 'WOM@4WED', 'WOM@1THU', 'WOM@2THU', 'WOM@3THU',
-                 'WOM@4THU', 'WOM@1FRI', 'WOM@2FRI', 'WOM@3FRI',
-                 'WOM@4FRI']
+                 'WOM@1MON', 'WOM@2MON', 'WOM@3MON', 'WOM@4MON',
+                 'WOM@1TUE', 'WOM@2TUE', 'WOM@3TUE', 'WOM@4TUE',
+                 'WOM@1WED', 'WOM@2WED', 'WOM@3WED', 'WOM@4WED',
+                 'WOM@1THU', 'WOM@2THU', 'WOM@3THU', 'WOM@4THU'
+                 'WOM@1FRI', 'WOM@2FRI', 'WOM@3FRI', 'WOM@4FRI']
 
         msg = frequencies._INVALID_FREQ_ERROR
         for freq in freqs:
diff --git a/pandas/tseries/frequencies.py b/pandas/tseries/frequencies.py
index 5c3c90520d1c3..c5f6c00a4005a 100644
--- a/pandas/tseries/frequencies.py
+++ b/pandas/tseries/frequencies.py
@@ -422,27 +422,6 @@ def get_period_alias(offset_str):
     return _offset_to_period_map.get(offset_str, None)
 
 
-_pure_alias = {
-    # 'A' is equivalent to 'Y'.
-    'Y': 'A',
-    'YS': 'AS',
-    'BY': 'BA',
-    'BYS': 'BAS',
-    'Y-DEC': 'A-DEC',
-    'Y-JAN': 'A-JAN',
-    'Y-FEB': 'A-FEB',
-    'Y-MAR': 'A-MAR',
-    'Y-APR': 'A-APR',
-    'Y-MAY': 'A-MAY',
-    'Y-JUN': 'A-JUN',
-    'Y-JUL': 'A-JUL',
-    'Y-AUG': 'A-AUG',
-    'Y-SEP': 'A-SEP',
-    'Y-OCT': 'A-OCT',
-    'Y-NOV': 'A-NOV',
-}
-
-
 _lite_rule_alias = {
     'W': 'W-SUN',
     'Q': 'Q-DEC',
@@ -739,7 +718,6 @@ def get_standard_freq(freq):
 
 
 def _period_str_to_code(freqstr):
-    freqstr = _pure_alias.get(freqstr, freqstr)
     freqstr = _lite_rule_alias.get(freqstr, freqstr)
 
     if freqstr not in _dont_uppercase: