Barber shop/barber's

[interwrit]

Hi there!

Would you say "barber shop" or "barber's"?

I incline myself to the "barber's" as it is maybe more standard form (like "grocer's", "tailor's").

If so, is it always used with a "the" article? "The barber's", never "a barber's"?

Thanks in advance!

 

[PaulQ]

I think "barber's" is BE, "barber's shop" is AE.

The definite or indefinite article are equally available depending upon context;

"I went to a barber's on Tuesday" - an, as yet, unspecified barber's.
"I went to the barber's on Tuesday" - usually understood as your regular barber's.

 

[morior_invictus]

Would you say "barber shop" or "barber's"?

"barber shop".

The definite or indefinite article are equally available depending upon context;

.

 

[interwrit]

I think "barber's" is BE, "barber's shop" is AE.

The definite or indefinite article are equally available depending upon context;

"I went to a barber's on Tuesday" - an, as yet, unspecified barber's.
"I went to the barber's on Tuesday" - usually understood as your regular barber's.

Did you mean surely "barber's shop"? Not "barber shop"?

If you meant what you wrote then if in AmE more common is probably the "barber's shop" term is it so as well with -for instance - the "grocer's" and the "tailor's" terms? Would they be in AmE "grocer's shop" and "tailor's shop"?

 

[vivace160]

I think "barber's" is BE, "barber's shop" is AE.

I don't know if it's regional or widespread across the US, but I would say either "barber" or "barber shop" (never with 's) with a personal preference for just "barber".

If in AmE more common is probably the "barber's shop" term is it so as well with -for instance - the "grocer's" and the "tailor's" terms? Would they be in AmE "grocer's shop" and "tailor's shop"?

I'd never use "grocer", "grocer's", or "grocer's shop". I say "grocery store". As for "tailor's shop", I've never had to go to one, but simply "tailor" sounds most natural to me.

 

[PaulQ]

Did you mean surely "barber's shop"? Not "barber shop"?

I don't think I wrote "barber shop"... I did say, "I think" for the AE version based on "Barber's shop singers/quartets."

However, you and I see vivace160, an AE speaker, who says the genitive 's' is not used in AE, whereas barber's, grocer's, tailor's, etc., are all used in BE.

 

[interwrit]

Thank you all, a disctinction between AmE/BrE is "surfacing" again.

 

[sdgraham]

I think "barber's" is BE, "barber's shop" is AE.

The definite or indefinite article are equally available depending upon context;

"I went to a barber's on Tuesday" - an, as yet, unspecified barber's.
"I went to the barber's on Tuesday" - usually understood as your regular barber's.

I don't think I wrote "barber shop"... I did say, "I think" for the AE version based on "Barber's shop singers/quartets."

However, you and I see vivace160, an AE speaker, who says the genitive 's' is not used in AE, whereas barber's, grocer's, tailor's, etc., are all used in BE.

We (well, at least some of us) do say the "butcher's," the barber's etc. but we say the "butcher shop," the "barber shop."

If you want to get to the meat of the question, you might check: at a/the butcher's

 

[RM1(SS)]

I don't know if it's regional or widespread across the US, but I would say either "barber" or "barber shop" (never with 's) with a personal preference for just "barber".


I'd never use "grocer", "grocer's", or "grocer's shop". I say "grocery store". As for "tailor's shop", I've never had to go to one, but simply "tailor" sounds most natural to me.

I agree with all of the above.

I don't think I wrote "barber shop"... I did say, "I think" for the AE version based on "Barber's shop singers/quartets."

"Barbershop quartets."

 

[PaulQ]

Back to AE 101 for me then...