It is increasingly common for the apostrophe to be dropped from the names of other institutions where the plural reference is a human reference - for example, Geologists Conference, Plumbers and Gasfitters Union. In all such cases, the plural word is not strictly possessive; its relationship with the following word or phrase is associative or descriptive, rather like an adjective.Now, a toilet block is not usually considered an institution. But, maybe I shouldn't always smile when I'm walking in Darebin Parklands and I see these two signs:
I always have an image in my mind of little 'mens' and 'womens' making their way into the toilet block. I don't know why they have to be little, but that's the way my imagination processes it.
If I visualise the toilets as a meeting place, a kind of informal conference centre, and think of the words as having the understood extra word, toilet - mens toilet, womens toilet - then it sort of fits the rule I quoted at the start of this post, ie it's not a place owned by men or women, but a place where they are gathered.
But, deep down, I want to add an apostrophe.
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4 comments:
That's an interesting citation about the subject not being possessive but considered an adjective. Never thought of it that way. The problem is the public interpretation of the usage.
There is a blog that details misuse of the possessive apostrophe, but the name of it escapes me.
Well, if it makes you feel better, I see the same thing here in England...
Oh dear, I am afraid after many painful wacks on the knuckles with a metal ruler, there is something inside of me that wants to scream "it is not fair! No, you MUST always include an apostrophe". Like you Parlance,I have very strange images pop into my head sometimes. the thought of a communal meeting space versus a private space to do some very personal activity is rather amusing....
theregatha, I'd agree that it really needs an apostrophe.
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