Even simple apostrophe can be complicated

A thoughtful reader recently wondered in an e-mail correspondence how our writers distinguish the punctuation in such phrases as Cubs' season and Cubs GM Jim Hendry or White Sox' dugout and White Sox fans.

How, she wondered, do we determine when to use the apostrophe?

It may surprise you to know that we think about such things - though, sadly, sometimes no amount of thinking can produce a clear resolution.

Here's what the AP Stylebook has to say about the distinction:

"Do not add an apostrophe to a word ending in s when it is used primarily in a descriptive sense: citizens band radio, a Cincinnati Reds infielder, a teachers college, a Teamsters request, a writers guide.

Memory Aid: The apostrophe usually is not used if for or by rather than of would be appropriate in the longer form: a radio band for citizens, a college for teachers, a guide for writers, a request by the Teamsters."

Seems simple enough, right? That is, until you consider certain specific phrases. A case could be made, for example, for either side in some of AP's own citations. The Teamsters request, that is a request by the Teamsters, might just as easily and correctly be the Teamsters' request, a request of the Teamsters'.

Veterans Day is a particularly interesting case. Is it a day for veterans or a day belonging to veterans? Is it a day to honor veterans or to honor the veteran? Depending on how you look at it, you could correctly punctuate it as Veterans Day, Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day. The official title, and AP preferred, is without the apostrophe: Veterans Day.

OK, fine. Then what about Valentine's Day? Is it a day of St. Valentine, hence Valentine's Day? Or for valentines and thus Valentines Day?

Sports examples are especially problematic and commonplace. You may be just as likely to see in the Daily Herald the uniforms in which the players dress referred to as the Cubs uniforms or the Cubs' uniforms. The results of last night's game might just as correctly have been the Bulls victory as the Bulls' victory. Bobby Jenks could well be identified as either the excellent White Sox closer or the White Sox' excellent closer.

Personally, in most such cases, I prefer to use the descriptive over the possessive and thus avoid using the apostrophe. Why, after all, clutter the world with unnecessary punctuation marks if you can avoid them? But I can't deny that even that approach is not foolproof. I would prefer to say, for example, that Kerry Wood is a Cubs closer, but in last night's game, he was the Cubs' closer.

I replied along these lines to the reader who originally e-mailed the question, and I'm sure she regretted ever asking in the first place. But I raise the point here to emphasize to readers, and writers as well, that the rules of grammar and punctuation are not always as clear as we would like them to be. Of course, would that the worst grammar or punctuation mistakes you ever find in the Daily Herald were an errant apostrophe or lack thereof. Everyone in newspapers knows that the pressures of writing and editing under constant deadline can lead to occasional serious mistakes of grammar and usage that make for some rollicking late-night entertainment.

But I hope you'll also note that even something as seemingly innocuous as a little apostrophe gets serious attention among our writers and editors. Now just don't get me started on hyphens.

• Jim Slusher, jslusher@dailyherald.com, is an assistant managing editor at the Daily Herald.