Next week, “Gus’s Community Market” could be given the green light to convert 10,000 square feet of ground floor industrial space at the corner of Harrison and 17th Streets, which is technically the 400 Alabama Street building, into a neighborhood grocery store and accessory restaurant.
As we first reported about the project last month, it’s the family behind the Haight Street Market and Noriega Produce which are planning to open Gus’s and the new market would be similar to their other two and roughly half the size of a smallish Whole Foods.
Currently zoned for Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR) rather retailing, and last occupied about six months ago as a packaging and distribution center for a company that sold “adult-oriented” merchandise, San Francisco’s Planning Commission will need to approve a requested change in use for the grocery to open, the hearing for which has been re-scheduled from mid-January to February 5.
The proposed hours of operation would be from 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily. Twenty (20) of the building’s existing off-street parking spaces would be dedicated to the new store. And San Francisco’s Planning Department is recommending the plans be approved.
Shouldn’t it be written Gus’? I don’t think you put a ess after the possessive mark when the name ends with the letter ess.
[Editor’s Note: It’s perfectly fine when it’s an individual’s name.]
Editor, I think you’re wrong. Really wrong. If we were talking about a plural here – two people named Gus – you wouldn’t refer to “the two Gus’.” Nor would “the two Gus’s” be correct. I’m not sure what that would be – “the two Gusses” maybe – but that’s not the question here.
Proper names ending in S which are used as possessives get just the apostrophe following the S.
[Editor’s Note: Perhaps poorly written on our part, but that’s not what we meant. And once again, it’s perfectly fine to use apostrophe s when dealing with an individual’s name that ends with an s as well.]
This must be one of those rules which have “evolved” in response to people doing it wrong. In my book, it comes off as ignorant. But okay, I accept that apparently in some circles this has become acceptable. (I don’t like people wearing hats indoors either, so feel free to label me an old curmudgeon.)
No, it has always been correct to add an “s” after an apostrophe to form a possessive of a name ending in “s” (unless it is a corporate name based on a plural, e.g., “General Motors”). The ignorant misuse that has become all to common (and bugs me to no end every time I see it) is leaving the “s” off. Read any respected usage book: you’re wrong.
ahem – “all too common”
Rule 1c. Some writers and editors add only an apostrophe to all nouns ending in s. And some add an apostrophe + s to every proper noun, be it Hastings’s or Jones’s.
One method, common in newspapers and magazines, is to add an apostrophe + s (‘s) to common nouns ending in s, but only a stand-alone apostrophe to proper nouns ending in s.
Examples:
the class’s hours
Mr. Jones’ golf clubs
the canvas’s size
Texas’ weather
Care must be taken to place the apostrophe outside the word in question. For instance, if talking about a pen belonging to Mr. Hastings, many people would wrongly write Mr. Hasting’s pen (his name is not Mr. Hasting).
Correct: Mr. Hastings’ pen
Another widely used technique is to write the word as we would speak it. For example, since most people saying, “Mr. Hastings’ pen” would not pronounce an added s, we would write Mr. Hastings’ pen with no added s. But most people would pronounce an added s in “Jones’s,” so we’d write it as we say it: Mr. Jones’s golf clubs. This method explains the punctuation of for goodness’ sake.
The above is from grammar.com. It makes sense to me that it is “Gus’s” based on the fact that spelling should follow speech, and it is pronounced “Gussez” (not “Gus”). But back to real estate…..
From Garner:
“POSSESSIVES. A. Singular Possessives. To form a singular possessive, add -‘s to most singular nouns — even those ending in -s, -ss, and -x (hence Jones’s, Nochols’s, witness’s, Vitax’s). . . . The traditional approach of the AP Stylebook . . . was to use nothing more than an apostrophe if the word already ends in -s. In the 2002 edition, the AP editors came up with a hairsplitting rule to use only the apostrophe (no additional -s) for (1) a word that ends in -s if it is followed by a word that begins with s-, and (2) a singular name that ends in -s. But most authorities who aren’t newspaper journalists demand the final -s for virtually all singular possessives (e.g., Bill Forbis’s farm, not Bill Forbis’ farm.) See the very first rule of William Strunk Jr. & E.B. White, The Elements of Style 1 (3d ed. 1979).”
He then goes on to to note the four exceptions to the “always add -‘s” rule (none of which apply here): (1) The possessives of personal pronouns do not take apostrophes (ours, yours, its theirs); (2) Biblical and classical names that end with a /zes/ or /eez/ sound take only the apostrophe (e.g., Aristophanes’ plays, Jesus’ suffering), where no extra syllable is added in sounding the possessive form; (3) If a corporate or similar name is formed from a plural word, it takes only the apostrophe (e.g., General Motors’ board of directors); and (4) (a narrower version of curmudgeon’s point) According to the traditional rule, a sibilant possessive before “sake” takes merely an apostrophe, without an additional -s — hence “for appearance’ sake,” “for goodness sake,” and “for conscience’ sake.”
Note that the AP rule, which no style or usage guide for non-journalists follows, is motivated by a desire to save space, since space costs money in journalism.
Shouldn’t it be Gus’ Market? I was always taught that it was never proper to use “‘s” after a proper noun ending in “s.”
Bill’s Market would be correct
Phyllis’s Market would not (should be Phyllis’ Market)
But maybe I’m the only one that still cares about using the language properly. Anyway, Gus’s Market just makes my eyes hurt. I’d stay away for that reason! But I wish them luck.
No, you’re absurdly wrong. All major style guides have always mandated an apostrophe s at the end of proper names that end with s.
Be sure to confirm you’re using the language properly before lamenting that you’re the only person who still cares about doing so.
“But maybe I’m the only one that still cares about using the language properly.” Can you hear me rolling my eyes in my head?
I thought the same thing when I saw the pic! May be they meant Gus’ “S” Community Market (trying to give them the benefit of the doubt here).
LOL. The editor must have attended a different English class than me, for I also think it should be Gus’ Market.
Now back to real estate issues, I hope if get full approval.
“…I hope if get full approval.” Was that part of your English class too?
I think that’s called a typo. Those are to be avoided in SIGNS MADE OF WOOD AND METAL AND PERMANENTLY AFFIXED TO BUILDINGS. A little less crucial in blog postings 😉
A couple of my favorite epic retail sign fails:
http://www.aietech.com/storage/Translate_server_error.jpg
http://www.lingo24us.com/sites/default/files/images/exception_unhandled.jpg
Internet induced and unhindered by a native speaker proofreader
I am so used to poor English translation in Chinese Restaurant menus it takes a lot to make me laugh.
I still laugh @ my non-native English speaking business client who thinks escalating problems means the opposite.
Wow, woe to all of you who were taught incorrect English. “Gus’s” is, and has always been, correct according to all of the major grammar and usage authorities (Strunk & Whit, Fowler, Garner, NYT style manual). Being vehement in your ignorance on this point is all the more embarrassing.
I’m with you shza. It’s always been Gus’s when Gus is a proper noun. Then again I learned grammar at a public elementary school. We didn’t have that fancy private school grammar, although we did have the Oxford comma. Now if Gus was an ancient name, it would be a bit of a stretch, but maybe they could write “The Community Market of Gus”
http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk.html
This reminds me of the whole Ruth’s Chris steakhouse. Is Ruth the last name and not the first name? Who is Chris? Thank goodness for Russ & Daughters in NYC, as opposed to Russ’s Jewish Deli.
“a different English class than me” … ugh. If you had attended any English classes at all, you would know the correct form is “attended a different English class than I”. The nominative pronoun (I) is used here as it is a shortening of “a different English class than I attended”. What a bunch of ignoramuses on here.
All posters must start diagramming the sentence immediately above your post. Then give your diagram to the poster below you for evaluation. Two incorrect diagrams will result in an automatic failure of the class.
Meanwhile, the existing Mission Market just burned.
The New Mission– now with parking!
The owner has a permit application on file for 3701 Noriega, currently a gas station. The plan is to move Noriega Produce to that location and build 16 units above it. Hopefully it’ll happen in the next decade or two.
Why is no one building a market/grocery at the old DeLano site on Shotwell between 23rd and 24th?
Just name it G community market. One single unifying letter and logo.
It used to be when you called up a law firm, the receptionist would recite the entire name of the firm consisting of four or five named partners. No one really cared after the first or second named partner anyways. With the more recent partner defections, closings or merging of big firms, some went simple ie. Orrick had a much longer name but eventually became known as O.
They could just use the letter “g” and do it in the font Gourmand. My designer friends will have a font-gasm.
I doubt you designer friends would have a font-gasm over the font Gourmond, which appears to be a very cheap (free) knockoff of the classic Garamond.
Bayview has space ready for a new grocery store at 3rd street and Carroll. Does it need better marketing to attract a good grocery store there?
(Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market) Closed
5900 3rd Street, Suite C-2001
San Francisco, CA 94124
[Editor’s Note: Fresh & Easy Saved, But Bayview Store To Be Shuttered.]
dear planning dept:
that intersection has become a disaster!
please replace that stop sign (also in the picture) with an intersection that is regulated by stop signals!
I’ve never noticed a problem with that intersection, but the intersection of 20th and Harrison does seem to require a signal. Largely to regulate peds…for some reason there seems to be just enough ped traffic there to keep the intersection stopped for large periods of time (similar to the intersection of 24th and Noe). I’m sure vehicular traffic doesn’t “warrant” a signal at either 17th or 20th, and that’s how traffic engineers typically look at it.