Have you ever shopped for groceries at Jewels? If you have, you’re pronouncing the store’s name wrong. It’s Jewel — short for Jewel Tea Company, the name of the original business that was founded here in 1899. So why do so many Chicagoans add an s?

It’s a linguistic phenomenon with stores, especially grocery stores. Kroger, Aldi, and Meijer are commonly referred to as Kroger’s, Aldi’s, and Meijer’s. (Even President Biden said “Meijer’s” on a visit to Michigan. At one time, this would have been correct, since the chain was founded as Meijer’s Thrifty Acres.)

According to the economic news site Marketplace, the practice can be traced to the tendency to name businesses after their founders (for instance, Marshall Field’s). Shoppers are so used to associating businesses with individual owners that they unconsciously use the possessive form — especially when the company’s name sounds like it could be a person’s name, whether it actually is or not.

Not that Jewel minds. In 2022, the grocery chain posted on its X account: “We are all good with the s. The Jewels is the real OG.” And a Jewel-Osco spokesperson says the company has at times even used the s in promotions.

Send your questions about the Chicago area to emcclelland@chicagomag.com.