Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

I also wondered if the department store sections could have originally been possessives, as in this is the men's section, this is the women's section, etc.

If so, either baby's might have just looked funny, or the thought might have been that it can't be the baby's section since babies don't shop.

-Jeff

I think it's just convention. Most departments in a department store are meant to be understood as plural possessive - the housewares' department, the electronics' department. And it's children's, not child's. Baby is the exception, probably because of the way we talk about baby things. We have baby clothes, and baby bottles, baby swings and baby carriages. So of course we're going to have a baby department as well.

jocelyn,mls said:

I recall that it was once explained to me by a gentleman floor manager of a department stores: We buy "for baby" whereas the other categories buy for themselves, thus making the departments plural/possessive. It's really that simple.

I do agree that the departments on the floor are plural/possessive (e.g., Mens, Boys, Girls, Misses, Petites, Juniors), but I don't understand what you mean that we buy "for baby". If a father were trying to buy a T-shirt for his 2 year old daughter, he would go to "Girls" not "Girl".