I may have asked this one in the past...

[gnomi]

...but, eh, I'm in a polling mood. Thus...

[Poll #797117]

Comments

[llennhoff.livejournal.com]

The boxes do not own the buttons, hence it is not a possessive relationship.
Or anyway that is my story and I'm sticking to it.

[madfilkentist]

The apostrophe doesn't say the boxes possess the buttons, it says the possess worth. "Many boxes of buttons" obviously wouldn't have an apostrophe.

[madfilkentist]

the -> they. (Every grammar debate must include a glaring blunder.)

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

But doesn't the *worth* belong to the boxes?

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

I believe the historical name rule also applies to Greek names, in which case "Lucas" isn't the best example for the prior question.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

My answer to #2 is different if the noun ends in two sibilants, like "Jesus" or "Moses" or "Ulysses" or "Unisys"

[michelel72.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking that there is not a possessive relationship in the buttons situation; instead, the box is a unit of measurement. It reminds me of a recent spate of references in the Boston Globe claiming women as being a certain number of months' pregnant. Ugh.

Then again, Garner says units of time or value do use the apostrophe ("the idiomatic possessive"). I didn't know that, so I'm glad this isn't a form I often use. And while you might give two weeks of notice, I'll maintain that you wouldn't be four months of pregnant.

As for plural possessives, as far as I know, the bare apostrophe (rather than 's) applies only if the word being modified is already in plural ends-in-s form (Home Depot's claim to being "Massachuetts' Home Improvement Warehouse" notwithstanding, as well as the Globe's fondness for referring to the Sox' record). But then there's the problem of plural words representing single entities: Good old Garner thinks that it should be General Motors' rather than General Motors's, even though American English generally uses the singular (verb) form for corporate entities.

I was taught the historical figure exception in school, but it seems bogus to me ... but Garner likes it, too. And he champions maintaining for conscience' sake??? Ew.

[tygerseye.livejournal.com]

I am not a grammar nerd. I am a grammar drop out. That's what I have you for. ;-)

[violetcheetah.livejournal.com]

chicago 14, i believe, was in favor of the historical figure exception, but if i recall, 15 makes no mention of the rule, and i don't like it, so i don't use it. what's so special about dead mediterranean guys?