# Haven't even opened the package and I want to send it back. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404 "2002-11-18T22:52:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rutabegger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Rutabegger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rutabegger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/21 "2002-11-19T00:36:10Z")
By the way, I notice that my post count is stuck at 66. Is this a hint?.. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/22 "2002-11-19T00:39:53Z")
Isn’t “Mens’s” usually associated with that _other_ gender? ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/23 "2002-11-19T00:40:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*So would it be “John’s car”, or is it “Johns car” because “John’s” looks too much like a contraction of “John” and “is”? Is that the exception - so, always apostrophes, except when it makes it look like a contraction? > > And thanks. 🙂 \*\* No foolling now. It’s John’s car. There is no exception. ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/24 "2002-11-19T00:41:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by voguevixen \* > \*\*I was flipping through the t-Shirts in the men’s department and there was a shirt with a sentiment along the lines of: > > “I’m not avoiding you, **your** just annoying.” > > I couldn’t believe that made it all the way through the design, approval, printing, sales, distribution and merchandising without anyone noticing that. \*\* I’m gonna guess here and say the t-shirt was (at least) printed in a non-English speaking country. I’d guess China, but it could be from nearly anywhere. Of course it could be a simple typo that wasn’t caught, but I blame furriners. -Rue. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/25 "2002-11-19T00:42:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*Isn’t “Mens’s” usually associated with that _other_ gender? \*\* Pervert. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/26 "2002-11-19T00:42:30Z")
Yeah, like I’m gonna take language tips from someone who misspells “fooling”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/27 "2002-11-19T00:44:50Z")
It’s not my fault. It’s this stupid message board software. It won’t let me use word, and I can’t proofread. But trust on me on this, It really “John’s car.” A generally good rule of thumb is that our grammar makes no exceptions to avoid confusion or for any logical reason. All exceptions will be arbitrary. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/28 "2002-11-19T00:46:45Z")
That’s my experience too. It’s generally a fairly easy language, yet I always find it amusing to learn something new. So thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/29 "2002-11-19T00:51:13Z")
Your welcome’s. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/30 "2002-11-19T01:11:03Z")
John’s car? I thought it was my car! StG ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/31 "2002-11-19T01:13:52Z")
[Here are some people who can’t choose between “pros” and “pro’s”](http://lovepros.loveisgreat.com/) Both “Good People to talk with… Love Pro’s!” and “Love Pros (Therapists) can guide you …” on the same page. Of course, neither of them is as funny as this gem: > [@](#): > > Licensed Psychotherapists with years of experience, providing educated answers to your questions and also available for one-on-one sessions for big challanges coaching! “Educated answers” with abominable spelling and grammar. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/32 "2002-11-19T01:20:04Z")
Hey, _ **Scylla** _ called me a pervert! That’s got to be good for something. Also, I just realized that “mens’s” resembles a contraction, and _contractions_ are associated with the same organ of that other gender’s that is largely responsible for “mens’s.” How deep does this rabbit-hole _go?_ ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/33 "2002-11-19T01:22:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Beadalin \* > \*\*The only exception to the possessive-apostrophe rule I can think of is **its** as the possessive form of something belonging to an it: “The building is tall, but **its** windows are tiny.” \*\* No “exception to the rule” here – it falls under a different rule. **Possessive pronouns** – my/mine, your/yours, his, her/hers, its, our/ours, their/theirs – are their own category, no apostrophe involved. To help clarify the issue with **men’s department** : plurals (note that none end in **s** ): men, women, children, people plural possessives: men’s, women’s, children’s, people’s ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/34 "2002-11-19T01:40:00Z")
Old joke: “Don’t you know the Queen’s English?” “Yes, I was aware of that” ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/35 "2002-11-19T03:30:02Z")
I’ve opened up a can of worm’s. Double grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowWarrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7993a0/32.png) [@ShadowWarrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowWarrior)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/36 "2002-11-19T11:01:05Z")
mens’s ??? good grief, if I ever saw that sign on a restroom door I would run screaming from the building… men’s is correct, although I could live with mens’ (at least, if i was desperate for the loo) mens causes my mind to boggle (how can you have more than one ‘men’ - it would be like having two ‘everythings’) but again, probably wouldn’t prevent me from using the facilities… but mens’s… ugh, I can barely even type it… ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/37 "2002-11-19T12:00:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > **And don’t worry Gazelle The use of “pro’s” on the cover of your box is both accurate and correct. It’s what known as the Guisseppe exception, which states that if referring to an habitual ongoing active, than the gerund (i.e. "running) is obsconded to the present tense in the derivative posessive singular, necessitating the use of the apostrophe.** I hope you don’t run like the prose in **Scylla’s** \* post. ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/38 "2002-11-19T12:01:59Z")
- [sub] **Scylla** is[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/39 "2002-11-19T12:22:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Beadalin \* > \*\*The only exception to the possessive-apostrophe rule I can think of is **its** as the possessive form of something belonging to an it: “The building is tall, but **its** windows are tiny.” \*\* How about “his shirt”, “her pants”, or “their clothes”? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404/40 "2002-11-19T13:05:08Z")
Did you consider that the monitor might have been shipped in an old box, formerly containing other items? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/havent-even-opened-the-package-and-i-want-to-send-it-back/137404.md?page=3)