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Author Topic: "Boss's" ???? Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 08-27-2003 11:17 AM                    OK, where's Steve and the other grammer masters? I noticed our electronic marquee said "My Boss's Daughter" and when I was about to tell the managers that it was wrong, I noticed that it was spelled the same way on the poster. What gives? Do you think this is something that slipped by, or was done on purpose, or am I totally wrong on it being wrong?  |  IP: Logged Joe Beres Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 606 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 08-27-2003 11:42 AM                     Mark, I don't think you are wrong. That is grammatically atrocious. I would have to assume that someone at the studio knows that it is wrong, but if they had done it properly(My Boss' Daughter). than many people would think that the movie was called My Boss Daughter. If they are intentionally misusing the apostrophe s, then I think it is a sad but telling concession to the lowest common denominator.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 08-27-2003 11:43 AM                        Looks like it depends on the writer's choice of style and usage. See this link: http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm  |  IP: Logged Gerard S. Cohen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 975 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 08-27-2003 11:58 AM                     The stylistic rule I learned in school was to form the possessive by adding an apostrophe plus the letter "s". But words ending in "s" need only the apostrophe. However, there's the option of adding an apostrophe plus "s." The apostrophe indicates missing letters. "John's book" was originally written "John his book", so the apostrophe replaces letters "h" and "i." "Boss" is awkward because of the double "s." In speech, we'd say "Boss-iz," and spelling it boss' seems to omit a pronounced syllable. In preparing a speech to be read, as on a tele-prompter, the apostrophe plus "s" might be preferred by the reader. Incidentally, "boss" would be capitalized as the first word of a sentence, or as part of a name (Boss Tweed) or as a title in direct address (Right away, Boss!) but not in "My boss' daughter gives me a pain."  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 08-27-2003 12:00 PM                       Paul is right. That is becoming more and more accepted.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-27-2003 01:54 PM                        FWIW, I saw an image of a poster on moviegoods.com that did indeed show it as "My Boss' Daughter." Maybe that was an early version or a teaser? I agree that "Boss's" may not be perfect but from a marketing standpoint, it's probably more desirable.  |  IP: Logged Joe Beres Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 606 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 08-27-2003 03:05 PM                     Thanks for the link, Paul. When I was taught grammar in school, I was told to NEVER use an apostrophe s after an s for possessive purposes. However, I would certainly trust the Strunk manual more than my grade school teachers.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-27-2003 03:20 PM                     Grammatical atrocity is common in written and conversational forms of American speech. Many got their panties in a twist when Price Charles raised objections of how we were murdering the "King's English." Here's the truth, America. Price Charles was right. Many of you are idiots. In true American form, we prefer to have our asses kissed rather than be told the truth. "My Boss's Daughter" is yet another accepted example of wrongly used English. If I am going to write the possessive of "boss" I always write "boss'". I have to go round and round with signage customers when they want to put wrongly worded grammar on a lighted pylon sign. They reply, "but that just doesn't look right." I try to tell them the use is correct, but they want the wrong version instead. That has to be the motive for writing "boss's" in that movie title. They did it for looks. I'm sure English teachers must be pulling out their hair when they take marks off a student's paper for splitting infinitives, writing run-on sentences and ending sentences in prepositions. The kids just come back with magazine articles and hardcover books by well-known writers that make all those mistakes. I personally did that in a couple of my junior high English courses. Then the teacher responds, "those writers are doing that for effect and you need to know the rules before you break them." On occasion, some movies give me a good chuckle when it comes to the techical properties of English grammar. I like the scene in "Fight Club" where the airport baggage claim worker says, "in the event of a dildo we can never imply ownership of the dildo. We have to use the indefinite article, 'a didlo,' and never 'your dildo.'" The sad fact is most Americans have no clue of what "indefinite article" means.  |  IP: Logged Dave Williams Wet nipple scene Posts: 1836 From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA Registered: Jan 2000 posted 08-27-2003 03:35 PM                        How about the horrific use of the word myriad? Editors of newspapers never seem to catch this little gem when it is misused, and writers use it to sound smarter than they actualy are. It is often used like this "There were a myriad of movies at the megaplex today." When the appropriate use is this... "there were myriad movies at the megaplex today." Let's face it, we are getting dumbed down at a frightingly speedy pace. Dave  |  IP: Logged Jeffry L. Johnson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 809 From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 08-27-2003 09:29 PM                        "A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations : fourth edition". Kate L. Terabian. ©1973 ISBN 0-226-81621-4. POSSESSIVES 3:7 Form the possessive case of a proper name in the singular by adding an apostrophe and s: Jones's book Stevens's poems Kinross's farm Marx's ideology Diaz's revolt Finch's candidacy But see the exceptions noted below (3:8 and 9): 3:8 The possessive case of the names Jesus and Moses, and of Greek (or hellenized) names of more than one syllable ending in es, is formed by adding an apostrophe alone: Jesus' ministry Moses' leadership Aristophanes' plays Xerxes' victories 3:9 For some common nouns as well, a regard for euphony sets aside the rule for forming the possessive by adding an apostrophe and s, and instead adds only an apostrophe: for conscience' sake for righteousness' sake for appearance' sake 3:10 Form the possessive case of a plural proper name (the Bradleys, the Costellos, etc.) by adding an apostrophe to the accepted form of the plural of the name. the Bradleys' house the Costellos' ranch the Rodriguezes' mine the Finches' yacht "The Macmillan Handbook of English : sixth edition". John M. Kierzek, Walker Gibson, revised by Robert F. Willson Jr. ©1977 ISBN 0-02-363040-X. 15. THE APOSTROPHE 15a. An apostrophe and -s are used to form the possessive of a noun, singular or plural, that does not end in -s. 15b. The apostrophe alone is used to form the possessive of a plural noun ending in -s. 15c. The apostrophe with -s is used to form the possessive of singular nouns ending in -s, if the resultant form is not unpleasant or difficult to pronounce. EXAMPLES James's hat, Keats's poems, Jones's office; but: for goodness' sake, for conscience' sake, Demosthenes' orations.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-27-2003 09:39 PM                  Holy Toledo Jeff, that's way too many rules to remember. I'd rather just write as I feel, and let 'em bitch! >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 08-27-2003 09:57 PM                        quote: Holy Toledo Jeff, that's way too many rules to remember. Jeffry's from Cleveland Ohio, not Toledo.  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-28-2003 01:13 AM                        quote: I'd rather just write as I feel, and let 'em bitch! There's a Shakesperean sentiment for you!  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 08-28-2003 06:27 AM                        The form of apostrophe abuse I find that people whose English is otherwise perfect tend to go in for is getting the possessive form of a collective noun (which is singular) wrong, e.g. The Driller Killer is not a childrens' film (wrong) Snow White is a children's film (right) Apostrophe Protection Society...  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 08-28-2003 09:57 AM                    Wow! The apostrophe protection society??? But I think they're wrong too when they say "Jones's bakery". It should be "Jones' bakery." Their example of "Joneses' bakery" is correct however. Like Joe, I was always taught to NEVER use an 's after a word that ends with s when showing possession. The "words that sound like they end in s" rule is new to me, though. I guess I was sick that day. I don't get the "it doesn't look right" argument. There's a lot of words that don't look right. Welcome to the English Language! To me, "boss's" looks like "bosseses." Oh, well.  |  IP: Logged

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