POSSESSIVE 'S

[ElleDix]

When refering to something like a dentist's studio or a florist's shop, in British English, is it acceptable to refer to it simply as 'the dentists' or 'the florists' without the 's? I vaguely remember reading about this recently but now cannot recall where. I have been living away from an English speaking community for so long that everything is becoming hazy and I'm starting to wonder if I dreamt it.

[emsr2d2]

Welcome to the forum.

You're not dreaming about what we say. We quite frequently say "I'm going to the dentists" (or just "I'm going to the dentist"). However, when we write it, we do tend to use the apostrophe, but not the final "s" (after the apostrophe). You will see it with and without the apostrophe though.

I'm going to the butchers after lunch.
I'm going to the butchers' after lunch.

I don't know anyone who says "dentist's studio". In BrE, it's a "dental surgery" or the "dentist's surgery".

[5jj]

I'm going to the butchers' after lunch.

I assume that's a typo. It should be butcher's.