Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a progressive state named California. Everyone in the kingdom knew it was the best thing the United States had going for it (especially during the times of the Orange Emperor with new clothes). Oh, who am I kidding? This happened in 2018.

On a recent evening, a lovely SoCal fairy who loves Ketel and soda sat by the light of a candle, swirling the ice cubes in her drink with a biodegradable cocktail stirrer. She wondered aloud about her friends, Dana and Damien Rodriguez.

“Are they the Rodriguez or the Rodriguezes? Surely it’s not The Rodriguez’s, since people who use an apostrophe and an “s” to denote plural are the reason why God flooded the Earth those many years ago.”

Lo and behold, among her musings, she did ponder the correct option:

When a last name (or surname for my European folks) ends in s, z, x, or ch, its plural form ends with “es”:  People have always tried to keep up with the Joneses for a reason, and that reason is proper grammar.

So there you have it, my darling readers. Short and sweet, like a shot of Fireball.

May you all have a lovely day, wherever you are.

Much love,

The Fairy Godwriter