Word Help Please

[yecats2885]

Ive seen a sign on ebay that says -

"Christmas at the (family surname)"

my partner and our children have the surname King

how do I word this sign

Kings, Kings' or King's

[maggiebee]

I would put Christmas at the Kings. Quite complicated this one.

[Tilly2]

King's ( house)

[jim360]

Probably the middle one, I think. It's the "Kings' [House]", as in "the house belong to the people named 'King'".

[jim360]

Hah! All three of us go for something different!

My advice would be to go for the first or second one, and anyone who complains is being just a bit too picky.

[yecats2885]

I dont really think its King's as its not the King who owns the house,

been really rattling my brain over this, considering not even getting it haha , Im tooo OCD with things like this

[Tilly2]

My answer was a load of rubbish. I am mortified. I need to get back to school.

[sandyRoe]

How about: Christmas at ours, the Kings

[Chinajan]

You're indicating a possessive-the implied missing word is 'home' [or house]. So to turn the sentence around it would read: Christmas at the home of the Kings. This means that you have two choices: Christmas at the Kings' or: Christmas at the Kings's. Be guided by how you would speak of the home - would you say: This is the Kings' house, or: This is the Kings's house? Either is correct.

Forgive the misuse of colons in my anwer. I didn't want to confuse matters by putting quote marks around the phrases!

[aelmpvw]

just to be on the safe side i'd go away for christmas

[bhg481]

Your family is the Kings. Therefore Kings' is correct.

[Bathsheba]

Been thinking about this for most of day, on + off,....but now I've just read ael's suggestion I've spluttered my tonic water all over the keyboard!! Excellent answer :D

x x

[corylus]

Surely just 'Kings.'

[Peter Pedant]

genitive plural as explained by those who choose

Kings'

see bhg or chinaman

C;s second choice Kings's I dont think is right even if the name is Kings

[BlackadderV]

Go for it , and say,"Chez King"

[Chinajan]

Not just Kings. There is a plural [Kings] and it is possessive: of the Kings. Apostrophe is therefore required after the word Kings.

[BlackadderV]

I disagree. The Kings is a simple plural surname and can stand on its own, unless expressly followed by a noun which indicates possession.

[Chinajan]

The noun is implied [the home OF the Kings] therefore must be observed. If you omit the apostrophe, you are saying: Christmas at the more than one King.

[BlackadderV]

Which is exactly what the poster means.

[BlackadderV]

Of course, if you replace the word 'at' with 'with', you avoid all problems, as only 'Kings' makes sense.

[sandyRoe]

If the We three KIngs of carol fame were handing out invites how should it read?