# Diseases vs. Syndromes: Using an apostrophe vs. Turning away from an apostrophe **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 12, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302 "2025-05-12T20:18:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/1 "2025-05-12T20:18:55Z")
Why are syndromes names after people non-apostrophed (Marfan, Klinefelter, Turner, Down) as opposed to diseases (Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Hansen’s)? Any reason other than, well, “that’s just how we do it?” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/2 "2025-05-12T20:34:38Z")
My guess: “syndrome” starts with an S, so over time, “[Name]’s Syndrome” would just end up elided to “[Name] Syndrome” anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2025, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/3 "2025-05-12T22:23:48Z")
Down’s syndrome was used more in the UK and Down syndrome in the US. Apparently this is now outdated. I think there is an overall trend to remove apostrophes. Many stores have dropped them. Macy’s logo now has an asterisk in place of a apostrophe. Wegman’s supermarkets dropped the apostrophe entirely. People either weren’t using them or misusing them or thinking they were plurals. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/4 "2025-05-13T00:52:24Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I think there is an overall trend to remove apostrophes Schnuck Markets started branding its stores as Schnucks (no apostrophe) beginning in the late 1950s or early 1960s - probably about the time they moved out of storefronts and started building standalone supermarkets. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/5 "2025-05-13T11:20:07Z")
I found a paper investigating the question: > **[Whose name is it anyway? Varying patterns of possessive usage in eponymous...](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3642700/)** > > There has been long-standing debate over whether use of the possessive form of the names of eponymous neurological disorders should be abandoned. Which view has actually predominated in practice? We empirically assessed current and historical usage... According to this, starting in 1974 the NIH started advocating to abandon the possessive form for all diseases and syndromes, and some journals adopted it as an editorial guideline at various times. The authors don’t really have an explanation for why the change stuck for some of the diseases/syndromes listed but not others, except suggesting the size of the community researching each has an influence. I wonder if the fact syndromes affect children, while the diseases usually develop in adulthood or old age makes the difference? People may be more sensitive about the language used to describe children, wanting to protect them from stigma (though honestly, I don’t see how the change makes any difference to anything). ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/6 "2025-05-13T12:26:14Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I think there is an overall trend to remove apostrophes. And the ban on apostrophes in U.S. place names has been on the books for more than a century: > **[Obscure federal rule erased apostrophes from place names](https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/obscure-federal-rule-erased-apostrophes-from-place-names/amp/)** > > Something is clearly missing at such natural wonders as Angels Landing, Devils Hole and Dantes View, but unless you’re a grammar teacher or a copy editor you probably never noticed. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/7 "2025-05-13T12:51:06Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I think there is an overall trend to remove apostrophes. I think its another symptom of the dumbing down of modern society. People don’t know when to use an apostrophe for ‘its’ vs. ‘it’s’. Its pretty simple- if its a contraction of ‘it is’ then its appropriate to add an apostrophe. If its a possessive pronoun, it should not have an apostrophe before it’s ‘s’. But people get confused by the ‘apostrophe s’ at the end of a proper noun possessive, so I bet in the next 20 years or so this will reverse and make the preceding paragraph grammatically correct. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/8 "2025-05-13T12:57:14Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Its pretty simple- Intentional? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/9 "2025-05-13T13:10:56Z")
The hidden hand of Gaudere… ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/10 "2025-05-13T13:13:00Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > hidden hand of Gaudere Gauderes Hand ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/11 "2025-05-13T13:13:27Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > Its pretty simple- > > Intentional? 🙂 > [@solost](#): > > But people get confused by the ‘apostrophe s’ at the end of a proper noun possessive, so I bet in the next 20 years or so this will reverse and **make the preceding paragraph grammatically correct.** > [@gnoitall](#): > > Gauderes Hand Reread the first paragraph-- all ‘its’ and ‘it’s’ are reversed. Its not a case of Gauderes Syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/12 "2025-05-13T13:31:54Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I think its another symptom of the dumbing down of modern society I put it down to idiots who can’t use SQL databases Single apostrophes are used in most SQL variants as text limiters, hence the reasonably famous “little Bobby Tables” XKCD cartoon. And this “speeding fine avoidance” strategy > **[Google Image Result for...](https://images.app.goo.gl/fvfyJ2iX8iZmTCGv6)** \* apostophe in “can’t” intended. Plus bonus irritation to Discourse for having to escape an asterisk with a backslash ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/13 "2025-05-13T13:39:24Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > I think its another symptom of the dumbing down of modern society > > I put it down to idiots who can’t use SQL databases Oh no, now whenever my post is quoted, it looks like my lame attempt at irony is just me pulling a ‘Gaudere’ 🤦‍♂️ 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/14 "2025-05-13T14:01:44Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Gauderes Hand Yes intentional. My bad at missing the punchline! I had assumed autocorrect ironically placed it. Which is where some of these errors happen too. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/15 "2025-05-13T14:10:26Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Yes intentional. My bad at missing the punchline! Well, my sense of humor can be subtle. Some even describe it as ‘nonexistent’. > [@DSeid](#): > > I had assumed autocorrect ironically placed it. Which is where some of these errors happen too. I _have_ noticed that autocorrect has tried to ‘correct’ my possessive ‘its’ to ‘it’s’, or the reverse. What’s up with that? It’s difficult to stay grammatically correct when the world is trying to ‘correct’ your already correct grammar. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/16 "2025-05-13T15:28:07Z")
Here in the UK the Sainsbury’s supermarket keeps the apostrophe for signage and print adverts but since an apostrophe isn’t allowed in a domain name the site is [sainsburys.co.uk](http://sainsburys.co.uk). ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/17 "2025-05-13T15:29:00Z")
I still shop at Schnuck’s… even since I moved to SPI ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/18 "2025-05-13T17:24:08Z")
People I know in professions that deal with Down syndrome began using Down’s syndrome in place of “Mongolism,” for obvious reasons in the 1970s. The “Down” was after its first describer, physician John Langdon Down. This proved a little embarrassing when it got around that it was Dr. Down himself who had originated the term “Mongolism.” So the apostrophe-s was removed in that one case because it was somehow supposed to signify that this is merely a denominator, and not in any way meant to honor the man. In the 1990s, someone suggested calling it “Trisomy 21,” in-line with other trisomies that were so-called, and had never been named for anyone. FWIW, Trisomy 21 was identified as such a long time ago-- back in the late 50s, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2025, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/19 "2025-05-14T13:42:50Z")
Thanks for the responses. One correction, long after the fact, in my haste to make my Greek pun, I worded the question incorrectly, so there was some side discussion about possessive proper names omitting apostrophes. It should have been worded: _Diseases vs. Syndromes: Using apostrophe ‘s’ vs. Turning away from apostrophe ‘s’._ But thanks all the same! ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2025, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302/20 "2025-05-14T23:02:38Z")
Another example I though of is Lou Gehrig’s disease. This isn’t named after the discoverer, but a prominent patient, so it is, in fact, the disease he had, or possessed. It does have another name, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, aka ALS. Since the name is hard to get your tongue around, and ALS could stand for other things, “Lou Gehrig’s disease” comes in handy-- and you still hear it even when most people know nothing else about Lou Gehrig. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diseases-vs-syndromes-using-an-apostrophe-vs-turning-away-from-an-apostrophe/1018302.md?page=2)