grammatical number - "Dad's corner" or "dads' corner"


Which is right: dad's corner or dads' corner? I see dad's corner used regularly so I am assuming that's right, but in my mind dad's is singular whereas the corner belongs to multiple dads as it's a place for dads to go to meet.



Answer



Both are grammatically correct but they have different meanings:



  • Dad's corner - a corner for a father

  • Dads' corner - a corner for many fathers


A useful comparison is Father's Day (or Mother's Day). It's a day to appreciate many fathers, but is written this way as it's a usually day to appreciate one father at a time. This is a generic plural.


Another example is Dad's Army, the name of a sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War.


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