Happy Boss'es...Boss'...Bosses...Bossy Day!
October 18, 2010 
Nooo...Well, there IS an apostrophe...but no.
(Also, what is that? A frosted book?)
You're getting closer. You just need to lose one of those letters.
Not that letter.
Wait. "Nappy Boos's Day"? With a period? Seriously? Maybe this is a lost cause...
A-HA!! YES! You spelled it ri...oh. Wait. No, you're still wrong here. See, the plural of "boss" is just "bosses."
[rubbing temples with eyes closed] Um. Ok. Look. Yes, you did spell the plural of "boss" right, but "Boss's Day" is possessive. Plus you spelled "you're" wrong.
Now, "possessive" means that...[blinking]...ah, screw it. Can you just write the word "boss" so it's not plural OR possessive?
I'm really starting to question your taste level.And you still spelled "you're" wrong.
Look, I don't think avoiding the issue is the answer. And stop saying, "Sounds like someone's got a case of the Mondays." That pin was lame in 1982. It's not getting any better.[sigh] Alright, look, you want to see the perfect cake to get your boss? Something that gets right to the heart of the matter? Something spelled correctly, and conveying just the right amount of gratitude?
Then here:
Jeneec K., Eric, Annette, Michelle O., Jennifer N., Angela P., Mandy W., Kate C., & Anony M., I say from now on we call it "Bossy Day." Who's with me?
Note from John: Yes. Some people accept Bosses Day as correct. However, if you think about the fact that this is a day for either your boss or your bosses, it really should be Boss's Day or Bosses' Day. Of course the original singular possessive of boss was Boss' but I think this hurt our American brains so we added the s. Just make sure you never use Bosseses' Day. bossbossbossbossboss
Reader Comments (97)
I'm getting flashbacks to the no sexual harassment cake with that uterus cake. Including the fact that it wouldn't look out of place on The Office. Anyone else?
Ha! Okay, the red stapler and the "case of the Mondays" button? I got both of those in my Office Space (the movie) "Work Sucks" kit from a colleague for Christmas a while back. So if the boss is an Office Space fan, it might be pretty darned funny to him or her!
I believe the bloody cake might make it in a Gynecologist office, but otherwise...
"Nappy Boos's Day"
I sense another tee shirt coming on!
Yeah, sometimes I feel like a slave to my lady parts too.
Other than the misspelling of "you're" it is a well crafted uterus cake.
And always remember - BOSS spelled backwards is double-S O B!
The yellow cake with the red stapler and "looks like someone's got a case of the Mondays" flair is an homage to Office Space. And it's hilarious.
WV - stchedia. St. Chedia - patron saint of cheddar-flavored-cheese-product.
I feel it's necessary at this point to refer to this (NSFW):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NisCkxU544c
Reading this blog always makes me crave icing >.<
Also, I want the possessive of boss to just be boss' , not bosses'
i.e. "Napy Boss' Dag"
But the internet does not unanimously agree with me, so I won't press the issue :)
I read, "Starting to question your taste level," in Heidi Klum's voice. It was soooo Project Runway.
Uterus cake?
...
WHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYY??!!!
Oh how people over complicate such simple matters - just don't celebrate Boss's day. They don't deserve it!
Looks like somebody tried to spell Boss with an OB and a GYN.
HA! A bleeding uterus cake to go with all the bleeding armadillo cakes!
Not that I know HOW it goes with them...
Das is correct. One of the accepted spellings of the possessive form of singular "boss" is "boss'." Grammar provides an exception to adding an "s" for possessives where the word already ends in an "s." this is not required, though... either "boss'" or "boss's" is acceptable.
But, I am with Scumbag Sam. I think the holiday is stupid. Everyday is boss' day... even Administrative Assistant's Day...
shouldn't it be "Happy Bosses' Day" or "Happy Boss' Day" depending on whether you're celebrating one boss or more? no s after the apostrophe. of course that sinks all the cakes.
I was under the impression that, when a word ended in 's' it was only necessary to add an apostrophe? For example, "Boss'" ... Though it does look strange. Perhaps I'll just be a good ESL-er and avoid it. I've never been so glad I don't work in a bakery.
"Nappy Boos's Day" would be an appropriate cake for that ridiculous "Bebe's Kids" cartoon. (Which I'd like to go on record as never having watched. It is just part of the popular culture that is undeniably taking up space in my brain.)
I used to have the "Mondays" pin. It made me laugh. Don't knock Office Space!
OH MY GOD .. WHO WOULD MAKE THE UTERUS CAKE? Why would someone ORDER that? Oh my god! I... I ... I AM SO DISTURBED!
Who would eat that!? "Uh... Uterus cake, anyone?" ... "Yeeeah, I think I'll just have coffee, thanks!"
WV: Rumam..
Someone with a swollen tongue trying to say "Run man!"
Bosses' Day is the correct plural possessive of boss. The singular possessive is Boss' Day. Thank you Little Brown Grammar book from college.
The uterus cake was really just gross. I wonder if it isn't from the UK as they use the term bloody more than Americans do.
I know you don't do these things, but I listed you as one of my fave blogs for the Beautiful Blogger award. I figured it as the very least free advertising. :D
My at-a-glance calendar lists the day as: "National Boss Day (US)"
Jen! Ack! I can only see some of the wrecks! What gives? I use Firefox, is the site anti-firefox? I see some, but not all of the images. Please help! I need ALL wrecks for my life to be complete!
I missed the memo! When did we start putting the extra s on after the apostrophe when the word ended in an s? I need to seriously brush up on those grammar rules. Dang. I guess I don't get to feel superior any longer. /sigh/
Yeah, right.
s' - that's the END of it.
Period. (in no way a reference to that bloody uterus cake)
I did find that one awesome, by the way. Well executed. *slice*
Keep the laughs coming, Jen, and John (husband of Jen)!!
~~Di
Be self-employed, get your own bloody cake. Any time you want.
Wreckin' cakes, LIKE A BOSS
Whoops.....didn't remember that it was today. The secretary usually remembers to get the principal something and I just give her money...much easier for me that way. Wonder if she remembered about Boss's Day. Hmmmmmmm.....
I love people who are all "that's the END of it. Period." in grammar issues.
Grammar doesn't have very strong laws - it has always changed with the times, just like spelling. Some linguists and grammar books will favor the new, some the old. Everyone can have an opinion, some opinions are supported by authorities on the subject, but nobody can say that something is the only, unquestionable, definite way.
Wikipedia says:
Some respected style guides such as The Chicago Manual of Style recommend the more modern addition of an s when forming the singular regular possessive of a noun ending in "s" but specifically state that adding simply an apostrophe (eg. Jesus') is also correct.
The Elements of Style and the Canadian Press Stylebook hold that the s is mandatory with only two exceptions: classical and Biblical proper names (e.g. "Jesus' teachings", "Augustus' guards") and common phrases that do not take the s (e.g. "for goodness' sake"). In all other cases, it is incorrect to omit the s.
I don't think I know what te word "boss" means anymore. I've read it so many times, it just looks like letters. Bossbossbossbossbossboss...
Great post!
Boss is just an odd word. So stubby, so simplistic, so...gutteral. It feels like a leftover from the slave era.
Huh. It's becoming really, really obvious why I'm a grad student rather than having a real job.
I love that that someone made an Office Space cake. I just wish they had not decided to jam sharp objects into something that was going to be eaten.
Yeeeeahhh.
I attended the Girls' Latin School, and I have a brother named James. It's Boss' Day and Bosses' day. What could be easier?
Hey, I love the Office Space reference. You might think a case of the Mondays is 80's-style lame, but I thinks it's totally boss, yo.
Okay, the word boss has now lost all meaning to me. It looks like it is stupid and spelled wrong no matter what haha.
I'm an editor and, sadly, it is my job to correct these things until I want to scream or throw something. Boss's is never correct. It is either Boss' day as in your boss is showing ownership or Bosses day as in the day for more than one boss. I think this confuses folks for a number of reasons, not the least of which being we completely ignore grammar education these days. The way we pronounce boss' surely doesn't help matters. I know successful college graduates that do not know the difference in to and too or you're and your. Hmmmm...I love cake and I love being a grammar nazi...I wonder if I could combine the two for a spiffy new career? If the grammar is incorrect, I eat your cake! BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I forgot, when more than one boss is showing ownership then it would be, of course, bosses'. Boss' Day, Bosses' Day. I don't even know anymore.
Now I'm confused as to how to write the plural of "s". But three of them in a row? Why ever would anyone be confused?
@Lisa, I use Firefox and don't have trouble with the pictures.
@Jen/John, do we have any backstory on the uterus cake?
The gynecological cake is anatomically scary.
The Office Space cake was headed in the right direction. Yellow for Post-its, red stapler. I give it a B for effort.
I need to talk to you about your TPS reports.
Am I the only one who feels like the word "boss" no longer looks like a real word?
As a general rule, singular words ending in a sibilant do take an apostrophe and an s to form the possessive. "Boss's" is the usual preferred form.
Then, of course, everything gets mucked up. Style guides are filled to the brim about exceptions for personal names, Biblical names, words ending in multiple successive sibilants (like Texas, Jesus, or Moses), and so on.
Most of the time, the exceptions endorsed are actually pronounced without the extra "s" (i.e. "Jee-zus name" instead of "Jee-zus-ez name").
It's actually pretty uncommon to find a style guide that allows the "just an apostrophe" approach for a single common noun that ends in only one sibilant, but there are a few.
But in general, "boss's" is never wrong—especially since that's how it's pronounced—and "boss'" (ugh) may be acceptable depending on the style guide, but probably not, being neither a proper noun nor a double-sibilant.
Somewhere in the middle of John's ETA comment I'd read the word boss so many times that it just started to look weird. Now every possible spelling of boss, bosses, etc. looks bizarre. Except for Boos. That one is pretty great.
@Bassgirl: It is indeed one of the most classic cake writings yet. Unfortunately, I think it really needs context to understand, so maybe a shirt isn't the answer.
I wouldn't mind buying the last cake. It looks yummy as well as comical.
Happy Monday to the Wreckerators that make us smile!!!
The uterus cake is horrifying!
I do like the "Office Space" shout out with the Mondays pin though!
http://amyscookingadventures.blogspot.com/
ps
my word verification to post is "poogyno" it made me giggle.
Oh I feel so bad that I didn't know today was boss's day. I made something special this morning that I would have loved to give that jerk. It would convey not only what I think he is, but also what kind of a boss he is and what he's good for. Did you figure out my riddle?
So after reading this post, does anyone else have The Lonely Island's "Like a Boss" ft. Seth Rogen stuck in their head? 'Cuz I deffs so.
"Nappy Boss's Day" is clearly the cake for the "Nappy Blob Blob" cake recipient from her employees.
When are people going to stop putting uteruses on cakes?
I know it's been commented a couple of times, but for completeness, here's one more direct quote which is from _The Elements of Style, 4th ed._, although it has appeared in earlier versions as well.
"1. Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's.
Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write,
Charles's friend
Burns's poems
the witch's malice
Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names ending in -es and -is, the possessive Jesus', and such forms as for conscience' sake, for righteousness' sake."