The possessive Mr Eto'o?

Kev - "how do you use the possessive apostrophe with EtoÂ’o? It looks bizarre if you write "EtoÂ’oÂ’s pass"! "

How about - " EtoÂ’o and his excellent pass"?

"EtoÂ’o and his excellent pass" sounds like an enchanting childrenÂ’s story, translated from the original Bantu. Also, it doesnÂ’t have precisely the same meaning and grammatical function as "EtoÂ’oÂ’s pass". You canÂ’t simply replace one with another. As it was, I sidestepped the issue with an Ossie-like swiftness of foot, but next time I might not be so lucky... er, I mean skillful.

Wakey, wakey, Mr Kenrick, Sir, letÂ’s hear your definitive verdict!

I think E-toes is the plural Brent/Kev.

EtoÂ’oÂ’s name? I admit, itÂ’s a puzzler, Kev... but I think we can follow the man himself, who uses this style:

A fan pic! Yesterday while greeting my big bro Jacques SongoÂ’oÂ’s wife. I love BRAZIL! Fans are everywhere to support! pic.twitter.com/4ALTyLJOwG

— Samuel Eto’o (@setoo9) June 12, 2014

Basically, I think a name is a simple entity, to which you add apostrophe-s, no exceptions. I think it’s the same blanket rule for Moyes’s and Martinez’s names — leaving off the s because the name ends in an s (or s-sound) makes no sense, especially when you sound the second s in normal speech — so why not write it as is?

The rule itself relates to the plural form; more than one EtoÂ’o? Hmmm... The EtoÂ’oesÂ’ house? (Getting silly now...)

Exceptions would be constructs like Spurs or The Blues, both of which are plural nouns, so the possessive form doesn’t get the extra s — either in speech or in written form.

Apparently it becomes a problem with words like Boss and Mistress, three esses in a row being frowned upon. (Do you they have the same rules in French?)

Some interesting side points came up during my research: Samuel EtoÂ’o is really 39

Michael

If anyone has the rule book on mistresses itÂ’s the French.

"Mongooses" or "mongeese"?

Or just "one mongoose and another"?

Snakes or snakeses? Now thatÂ’s Gollum speak.

MK has spoken: "EtoÂ’oÂ’s pass" it is.

IÂ’m not with you on the Moyes example, though. You certainly can say "MoyesÂ’ megalomania" - that wouldnÂ’t be technically wrong, although as you say it doesnÂ’t match pronunciation. In fact, I think IÂ’m right in saying that there is a clear trend to simplify/minimise punctuation, etc, so "MoyesÂ’ bad breath" is probably more commonly used than the alternative "MoyesÂ’s successor, Martinez, went on to lead Everton to glory". Not that IÂ’ve used this issue to deride OFM or anything...

There is a practical advantage to the unusual (to Westerners) spelling of EtoÂ’oÂ’s name (see, I did it!). It means that people can chant it without adding another syllable to the name: "Eto-o". Whereas, to take the example of Alan Shearer, whose name was often chanted a few years back, Newcastle and England fans used to distort it to "Shear-er-er". They do the same now with Rooney, or should I say "Roon-ey-ey". ItÂ’s like thereÂ’s an echo at the end.

Er, COYB!

The Chinese have it cracked. "de" is used for possessive...
... "wo de pijou" is "my beer!" where "wo" is "I / me", "pijou" is "beer" and "de" denotes possession.

Nice riposte, Kev. But these mongeese, snakes and Chinese beer are threatening to take us off-topic!

Although The EtoÂ’oes do make quite a handsome pair:

(We need a rule such that diversions of this ilk must be required to use the word in an Everton-related sentence. Er... on second thoughts, maybe that would be foolhardy.)

Apologies for misspelling your surname before, MK. Bad manners, that.

Getting right back on topic... if, when Leon Osman retires, he opens a Scouse-themed hospital in Australia, I quite simply demand that the newspaper headline reads: Ossie's Aussie Ozzy!

I thank you.

Hope he doesnt get involved in a joint venture with the Black Sabbath singer

Rather good Kev! That o'ozes class.

No problem, Kiv, a little tweak and all is good.

No can I go back to sleep?

I too find it difficult with EtoÂ’o, ha,ha.

Let's just hope he doesn't bust a few metatarsals.

"O'oh' no'o' - blo'ow' to blues as Eto'o's to'o'es's go'o'es" or..something.

(lies down)

Ossie's Aussie Ozzy. Brilliant.

Why not just say.A great pass from Samuel ?Saves having headaches and silly discussions.

The hammers were Eto'oed.

Because we like to call our players by there surname, Trevor, unlike our neighbours, who think all their players are there fucking neighbours!

Brent, could that be Ozzie's class?

David, yes but only with an apostrophe!

We'll never win the league until we get this sorted out once and for all.

Michael (10), forget about a rule for diversions, just invoke a rule about more pictures like this.

He himself adds loads of "oh's" to every game he plays for us.I always say "Oh no" when I see he's on the bench and not on the field.