{"id":165,"date":"2004-01-25T09:47:35","date_gmt":"2004-01-25T13:47:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/desultor\/2004\/01\/25\/sellout-spelling\/"},"modified":"2004-01-25T09:47:35","modified_gmt":"2004-01-25T13:47:35","slug":"sellout-spelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/desultor\/2004\/01\/25\/sellout-spelling\/","title":{"rendered":"Sellout Spelling"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

I saw a poster for an Ashton Kutcher flick. Ashton was depicted in the foreground, looking shocked and perhaps apprehensive. A pair of slim, feminine hands, having come over his shoulders from behind, were fastening his tie. The hands belonged to a pretty standard Hot Chick, visible behind his right shoulder. I’ve seen her in something but I forget her name. Behind his other shoulder, lips pursed, an Old Man.<\/p>\n

The name of the movie:<\/p>\n

My Boss<\/font>‘s<\/font>Daughter<\/font><\/p>\n

This is an interesting way of dealing with the ever-confusing problem: “How does one form the possessive of a word that ends in s?” This has been dealt with in many ways. Some folks (elegantly and correctly) would say “My Boss’ Daughter”. Others would go for the logically unassailable but slightly unsightly “My Boss’s Daughter”. Back in the day they would have said “My Boss His Daughter”, or even (I believe) “The Governess His Daughter”.<\/p>\n

But those pusillanimous movie wimps (O Hollywood! thy moral cowardice giveth me a puke) have wimped out entirely. They are not man enough to spell it either as Boss’ or Boss’s, but have to try to have it both ways. Typical. They are abdicating their responsibility to the youth, and to the future.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

Now let’s mock some other wacky ways people’ve spelt this movie’s title!<\/p>\n