Punctuation and why I keep having a go at huxley

Now I'm really worried.I pride myself on generally knowing what to do with an apostrophe or two. But I've done labels saying 'Goat's milk soap'........now I'm thinking that should be 'Goats' milk soap'; unless the milk came from one goat only. What do you think CD?
 
Arrowhead said:
Goats' milk, definitely. "Nanny's Silly Soap" is a bit confusing in that context, actually. :cool:
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Heh, nice one.

How about "Soap made from the milk of at least one goat"? Hmmm, might need bigger labels or a smaller font.
 
There's mother's milk and mothers' milk and grand mother's milk and grand mothers' milk (these being the free-range organic Gold Top version of normal mother's milk).

Then of course there's grandmother's milk and grandmothers' milk, the latter being the the blended version while the former is the product of a single (but lactating) grandmother.

Obviously there are pros and cons to each and the differing cost of production is reflected in some price differential.

I used to work at a wet nurse bank and it all got very confusing. Hard to keep abreast of it all. And where to put all those big jugs brimming with milky goodness?
 
Rev-O said:
<snipped>
  • I used to work at a wet nurse bank and it all got very confusing. Hard to keep abreast of it all. And where to put all those big jugs brimming with milky goodness?[/list:u]
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  • Hey O! I worked at a wet nurse bank too! I was a bra-tender in the milkbar for a while, but after a while, I finally got transferred to the support team. Some of the work there was much more than a handful, though quite satisfying for all involved according to the responses the organisation received from suppliers and clients alike.

    Time to go ...

    ... before I'm thrown out.
    • ... well, actually it's to make my way to a medical appointment.
      • ... & not for 'repetitive strain injury' either.[/list:u][/list:u]
 
I'd join in with this but I'm no good at expressing myself. I'd be certain to make a boob which no doubt would stick in your mammary. Oh well, there's always an udder time... :roll:
 
Ahhh but the reference of goat is that individual animals or a species reference.

I would say that it its goat's milk in that it is milk from the species goat rather than the species cow, for example, thus it is it is singular rather than plural.
 
Jeltz said:
Ahhh but the reference of goat is that individual animals or a species reference.

I would say that it its goat's milk in that it is milk from the species goat rather than the species cow, for example, thus it is it is singular rather than plural.
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+ 1 goat
 
Surely then it is just "goat milk" with "goat" as generic modifier to the subjunctive "milk"?

Although beeswax is an interesting comparison: a compound noun plural where "bees" is both plural and non-genitive. (Cf. e.g. "earwax".)
 
Just sod the apostrophe altogether. Mothers Day and Fathers Day are examples of generally accepted usage where an apostrophe both before or after the 's' would be possible.

And here is some Goats Milk:

005113.jpg


OK, I'm off before someone far better at grammar than me can give me a chiding. :D
 
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