Richard J. wrote:
wrote:

In her amusing book, "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" Lynn Truss (mistakenly,
I think) states the rule as being that one omits the "s" where the
proper noun is of "ancient" origin, whatever that may mean. But she
then goes on to disprove this rule by quoting "St. Thomas' Hospital"
as being an exception to the rule!

IIRC (I don't have the book to hand at present), she said that if people
invent a brand name, one should reluctantly accept it as it stands, and
quoted "St Thomas' Hospital" as an example. The webmaster at their site
once tried to persuade me that the spelling reflected the fact that
there were two saints called Thomas connected with the hospital, but of
course that would make it "St Thomases' Hospital".

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Richard, you remember correctly about what Miss Truss wrote about St.
Thomas' Hospital. Not quite sure where her "brand name" - the hospital
has been around for a good while longer than either that concept!

Highly amusing what you wrote about the two saints! I hail from two
institutions where that rule does apply, but people inevitably get in
wrong - Kings' House (in my old school - after Kings Charles I and II)
and Queens' College, Cambridge (after Queens Elizabeth Woodville and
Margaret of Anjou).

Marc.

On Sun, 25 Jun 2006, wrote:

Richard J. wrote:
wrote:

In her amusing book, "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" Lynn Truss (mistakenly,
I think) states the rule as being that one omits the "s" where the
proper noun is of "ancient" origin, whatever that may mean. But she
then goes on to disprove this rule by quoting "St. Thomas' Hospital"
as being an exception to the rule!

IIRC (I don't have the book to hand at present), she said that if people
invent a brand name, one should reluctantly accept it as it stands, and
quoted "St Thomas' Hospital" as an example. The webmaster at their site
once tried to persuade me that the spelling reflected the fact that
there were two saints called Thomas connected with the hospital, but of
course that would make it "St Thomases' Hospital".

Ss Thomases', isn't it? Or would you have to say Ss Thomas and Thomas? Now
they're starting to sound like a Welsh greengrocer ...

Highly amusing what you wrote about the two saints! I hail from two
institutions where that rule does apply, but people inevitably get in
wrong - Kings' House (in my old school - after Kings Charles I and II)
and Queens' College, Cambridge

But, just to keep you on your toes, Queen's College, Oxford!

tom

--
Yesterday's research projects are today's utilities and tomorrow's
historical footnotes. -- Roy Smith

On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 00:35:30 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:

Highly amusing what you wrote about the two saints! I hail from two
institutions where that rule does apply, but people inevitably get in
wrong - Kings' House (in my old school - after Kings Charles I and II)
and Queens' College, Cambridge

But, just to keep you on your toes, Queen's College, Oxford!

One Queen at Oxford; there's only one Queen at Oxford! :-)

--
James Farrar
. @gmail.com

James Farrar wrote:
On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 00:35:30 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:

Highly amusing what you wrote about the two saints! I hail from two
institutions where that rule does apply, but people inevitably get in
wrong - Kings' House (in my old school - after Kings Charles I and II)
and Queens' College, Cambridge

But, just to keep you on your toes, Queen's College, Oxford!

One Queen at Oxford; there's only one Queen at Oxford! :-)

--
James Farrar
. @gmail.com

Reminds me of the old college joke, about the fresh-faced undergraduate
walking along the Cam, looking for the Queens' College boathouse, and
coming across a group of beefy looking oarsmen, saying, "are you lot
Queens' ", before being upended into the river.

Well, it made me laugh when I first heard it!

Marc.

In article . com,
() wrote:

Reminds me of the old college joke, about the fresh-faced
undergraduate walking along the Cam, looking for the Queens' College
boathouse, and coming across a group of beefy looking oarsmen, saying,
"are you lot Queens' ", before being upended into the river.

Well, it made me laugh when I first heard it!

Well, in my day we wondered by that was the only college (before
co-residence) with double sets which mostly had shared bedrooms.

--
Colin Rosenstiel