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Slightly aside -- I have never worked out why everyone calls it a "driver's licence" (or license), as every one I've ever seen, on all sides of the pond, is cle

by Jedd 5y ago

Slightly aside -- I have never worked out why everyone calls it a "driver's licence" (or license), as every one I've ever seen, on all sides of the pond, is clearly labelled a "Driver Licence" in big bold letters. It doesn't appear to be an attempt at plural (obviously that'd be wrong in any case), and possessive doesn't make any sense in either this, or the common use, context.

TulliusCicero 5y ago
Driver's License as a possessive makes as much sense as Driver License. Driving License would probably make more sense, though.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
elipsitz 5y ago
I was curious, so I looked at list of pictures of each state's licenses. Based on https://www.insider.com/what-drivers-license-looks-like-in-every-state https://www.insider.com/what-drivers-license-looks-like-in-e...: 17 states say "Driver's License". Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia. Indiana and South Dakota actually call it an "Operator License", rather than "Driver" or "Driver's".
- Jedd 5y ago
  Fantastic, and thank you. I'd searched for something like that, but was finding a mish-mash of USA state licence images. Did you count the other 33 as all having 'Driver license'? Not that that's terribly conclusive -- it looks like each licence design is performed without the benefits of an experienced sub-editor.
  - elipsitz 5y ago
    Yeah -- although Louisiana calls it a "Personal Driver's License", and New Jersey calls it an "Auto Driver License".
ashtonkem 5y ago
It’s “Driver’s License” in my state (Idaho), while it’s a “Driver License” in California. I always assumed that the possessive form was to indicate that it was a license possessed by a driver. In fact “Driver License” makes less sense in my head, as I can’t make heads or tails of what role each word is supposed to make in that clause.

by Jedd 5y ago

TulliusCicero 5y ago

Driver's License as a possessive makes as much sense as Driver License. Driving License would probably make more sense, though.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

elipsitz 5y ago

I was curious, so I looked at list of pictures of each state's licenses. Based on https://www.insider.com/what-drivers-license-looks-like-in-every-state https://www.insider.com/what-drivers-license-looks-like-in-e...: 17 states say "Driver's License". Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia. Indiana and South Dakota actually call it an "Operator License", rather than "Driver" or "Driver's".

Jedd 5y ago
Fantastic, and thank you. I'd searched for something like that, but was finding a mish-mash of USA state licence images. Did you count the other 33 as all having 'Driver license'? Not that that's terribly conclusive -- it looks like each licence design is performed without the benefits of an experienced sub-editor.
- elipsitz 5y ago
  Yeah -- although Louisiana calls it a "Personal Driver's License", and New Jersey calls it an "Auto Driver License".

ashtonkem 5y ago

It’s “Driver’s License” in my state (Idaho), while it’s a “Driver License” in California. I always assumed that the possessive form was to indicate that it was a license possessed by a driver. In fact “Driver License” makes less sense in my head, as I can’t make heads or tails of what role each word is supposed to make in that clause.