Holiday card senders: You are the Smiths, not the Smith’s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re a blended family so our cards say “From 2 Joneses, 1 Smith, a Smith-Miller, and Little Smith-Jones”.

Some in our house are hyphenated and some aren't. So I like "The Smith-Jones and Jones Family"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please learn the difference between the possessive and the plural.

“Happy holidays from the Smiths” = greetings from all members of the Smith family.

That is all.

I hope that you have already reported this egregious error to the North Pole Grammar Police (NPGP)

Is it OK with you if we remain on the Smith’s holiday card list even if they misstate their Season’s Greetings?

Please make some Tik Tok videos on this subject for the benefit of the younger generation’s command of written English. They may ask you what the pronouns of the Smiths are though.

Thank you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the Williams family, not the Williams Family.

I like the capitalization in the address. Seems more formal.

The Griffin Family
31 Spooner St
Quahog, RI 00093

(The Griffins would also work here)

The USPS prefers all caps. No commas or periods either.

Agreed, but then it looks like you're shouting the address

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please learn the difference between the possessive and the plural.

“Happy holidays from the Smiths” = greetings from all members of the Smith family.

That is all.

I hope that you have already reported this egregious error to the North Pole Grammar Police (NPGP)

Is it OK with you if we remain on the Smith’s holiday card list even if they misstate their Season’s Greetings?

Please make some Tik Tok videos on this subject for the benefit of the younger generation’s command of written English. They may ask you what the pronouns of the Smiths are though.

Thank you

1) You only use an acronym after the full name of an organization if you use it later on in the piece you are writing. In this case, you did not use NPGP again, so it should not have been used.
2) You needed a comma after that last “are”: “…Smiths are, though.”
3) You’re welcome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And its Nordstrom not Nordstroms; Walmart not Walmarts.

It’s Nordstrom’s (department store) which is still owned by the Nordstroms.
You’re right about “Nordstrom “ but many people use the possessive, which implies the (Nordstrom’s) store — similar to Macy’s.

It’s interesting— I frequently hear the possessive with department stores, but seldom hear it used for grocery stores. Wegmans is styled without the apostrophe although the family name is Wegman.

It's definitely The Hot Topics though. Or The Hot Topic's is even better. Fight me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please learn the difference between the possessive and the plural.

“Happy holidays from the Smiths” = greetings from all members of the Smith family.

That is all.

I hope that you have already reported this egregious error to the North Pole Grammar Police (NPGP)

Is it OK with you if we remain on the Smith’s holiday card list even if they misstate their Season’s Greetings?

Please make some Tik Tok videos on this subject for the benefit of the younger generation’s command of written English. They may ask you what the pronouns of the Smiths are though.

Thank you

Please report me to the NPGP!

1) You only use an acronym after the full name of an organization if you use it later on in the piece you are writing. In this case, you did not use NPGP again, so it should not have been used.
2) You needed a comma after that last “are”: “…Smiths are, though.”
3) You’re welcome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so annoying to me too. I have even seen a few people who have a welcome mat or sign hanging up at their house w their surname that says “welcome to the Smith’s.” I really wish someone would tell them (but I’m not going to be the one to do that/too much of a people pleaser)

I mean, I'm just as annoyed by people who use apostrophes incorrectly as anyone else, but this is an example in which it kind of works. It's an abbreviated sentence/phrase with the word "home" or "house" being cut off. Welcome to the "plural name" doesn't make any sense. You wouldn't say "welcome to Katie" if you were using the first name.

That should be the plural possessive: Welcome to The Smiths'.

Welcome to the Smith's would be correct if a blacksmith or silversmith lived there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please learn the difference between the possessive and the plural.

“Happy holidays from the Smiths” = greetings from all members of the Smith family.

That is all.

I hope that you have already reported this egregious error to the North Pole Grammar Police (NPGP)

Is it OK with you if we remain on the Smith’s holiday card list even if they misstate their Season’s Greetings?

Please make some Tik Tok videos on this subject for the benefit of the younger generation’s command of written English. They may ask you what the pronouns of the Smiths are though.

Thank you

Please report me to the NPGP!

1) You only use an acronym after the full name of an organization if you use it later on in the piece you are writing. In this case, you did not use NPGP again, so it should not have been used.
2) You needed a comma after that last “are”: “…Smiths are, though.”
3) You’re welcome!

After you have reported my unnecessary use of an acronym to the NPGP, please do make Tik Tok videos on correct use of grammar over the holidays. Our youth are losing their command of written English to text messaging codes and short cuts.

Perhaps you could title your Tik Tok video
“Good Will and Good Writing to all of Gen Z
With season’s greetings from the Smiths and Me.”

Know thy audience. So first, do declare your pronouns!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so annoying to me too. I have even seen a few people who have a welcome mat or sign hanging up at their house w their surname that says “welcome to the Smith’s.” I really wish someone would tell them (but I’m not going to be the one to do that/too much of a people pleaser)

I mean, I'm just as annoyed by people who use apostrophes incorrectly as anyone else, but this is an example in which it kind of works. It's an abbreviated sentence/phrase with the word "home" or "house" being cut off. Welcome to the "plural name" doesn't make any sense. You wouldn't say "welcome to Katie" if you were using the first name.

That should be the plural possessive: Welcome to The Smiths'.

Welcome to the Smith's would be correct if a blacksmith or silversmith lived there.

Unless only Mary Smith lives there and she goes by The Smith. Welcome to The Smith's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re a blended family so our cards say “From 2 Joneses, 1 Smith, a Smith-Miller, and Little Smith-Jones”.

Oh jeez. Maybe go with first names next time. The “divorce is great” narrative can feel overdone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. My last name ends with an s so we use "The ____s Family" to avoid adding an "es." My SIL just sent out her card and totally botched it. Same last name that ends in s and her card said "The ____s" no "es" and no "family"

We have "The Humphreys" in our family. Humphreyses seems wrong, don't you think? I agree that "Family" avoices the issue, but some names ending in -s seem to work in the plural without any changes.

No. If their last name is Humphreys, it's "the Humphreys family" or "the Humphreys."

Saying "happy holidays from the Humphreys" will make people think their last name is Humphrey. It does not "work."

Had a friend who botched this with their wedding. Hashtag #introducingthehumphreys and literally nobody told them at any point in the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re a blended family so our cards say “From 2 Joneses, 1 Smith, a Smith-Miller, and Little Smith-Jones”.

Oh jeez. Maybe go with first names next time. The “divorce is great” narrative can feel overdone.

Good point.

Woukd signing off from The They Smiths cover all bases?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the Williams family, not the Williams Family.

I like the capitalization in the address. Seems more formal.

The Griffin Family
31 Spooner St
Quahog, RI 00093

(The Griffins would also work here)

The USPS prefers all caps. No commas or periods either.

Agreed, but then it looks like you're shouting the address

The rules are the rules. All must be followed, not just the ones you like.

[Anonymous]

Still recall a friend’s expensive, professionally-made holiday card with the family name printed collage style in varying fonts proclaiming Merry Christmas*Lewis’s*Lewis’s*

I’d like to use this thread to publicly shame a church leader who insists upon sending invitations for the youth group to gather at the Johnson’s house or thanking the O’Malley’s for hosting. “Thanks for the flowers, Robinson’s!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re a blended family so our cards say “From 2 Joneses, 1 Smith, a Smith-Miller, and Little Smith-Jones”.

That sounds very try-hard.

I would say from Sarah, Michael, Elizabeth, Will and Mikey Jr.