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February 16, 2017 8:13 AM Subscribe
How do you pluralize Culver's if you're not saying "Culver's restaurants?"
People say things like, "there are three Culver's in the area," which sounds okay when spoken, but I'm not sure how to write it.
People say things like, "there are three Culver's in the area," which sounds okay when spoken, but I'm not sure how to write it.
Response by poster: Sorry to jump in, but I guess the real question is whether you follow the plural possessive rule when the proper name of a business ends in 's.
posted by michaelh at 9:10 AM on February 16, 2017
posted by michaelh at 9:10 AM on February 16, 2017
If the name of the restaurant in Culver's, then the best solution is to say "there are three Culver's restaurants in the area." There are all kinds of situations where a rewrite is the best solution to avoid a formation that is either incorrect (Culvers') or inelegant (Culver'ses).
That said, if you have absolutely no choice (you're transcribing a direct quote, e.g.) I'd say "there are three Culver's in the area" and allow Culver's to work as an uninflected plural.
posted by drlith at 9:23 AM on February 16, 2017 [14 favorites]
That said, if you have absolutely no choice (you're transcribing a direct quote, e.g.) I'd say "there are three Culver's in the area" and allow Culver's to work as an uninflected plural.
posted by drlith at 9:23 AM on February 16, 2017 [14 favorites]
Perhaps pluralizing possessives is predicated on apostrophes placed past the s.
that is some extraordinary (intended?) alliteration there!
FWIW, I agree with drlith.
posted by bologna on wry at 10:58 AM on February 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
that is some extraordinary (intended?) alliteration there!
FWIW, I agree with drlith.
posted by bologna on wry at 10:58 AM on February 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
In casual conversation, I would totally say "Culverses" because I would find it amusing. But writing it is definitely clunky at best and writing around it (Culver's restaurants, Culver's locations, etc) is the best solution if possible.
posted by stevis23 at 11:37 AM on February 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by stevis23 at 11:37 AM on February 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
"There are three Culver's in the area" is a bit awkward, but definitely preferable to giving the restaurant a new name and calling it Culvers'.
posted by kmennie at 11:44 AM on February 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by kmennie at 11:44 AM on February 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
Reformulate it: "Culver's has three locations in the area." And lucky you! Culver's is awesome.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:41 PM on February 16, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by kevinbelt at 1:41 PM on February 16, 2017 [3 favorites]
I work in a higher ed related field and this comes up CONSTANTLY with the term "master's" (as in the degrees and the institutions that primarily produce them). I just say "master's" for the plural.
posted by capricorn at 4:07 PM on February 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by capricorn at 4:07 PM on February 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Please pass the pounds of Peanuts' playbooks.
There are three Culvers' in the area.
posted by bensherman at 8:20 AM on February 16, 2017 [2 favorites]