# How to use apostrophes, for fuck's sake - redux **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 23, 2009, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608 "2009-01-23T07:57:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/21 "2009-01-23T18:44:20Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Gawd, yes. > > There are three Ms in that word. > I have 15 DVDs in my pants. > The 1980s will never die. > > An apostrophe is extraneous and messy. I tend to agree with you. Lynn Truss attempted to convince me otherwise, and so now I just don’t know what to do. I sort of take it on a case by case basis. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/22 "2009-01-23T18:49:52Z")
My doctor just called. He wants to have a look at my MRI’s. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/23 "2009-01-23T18:49:58Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I have recently noticed that a friend of mine thinks that “its” is spelled “its’”. I think shes right ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/24 "2009-01-23T19:03:53Z")
> [@Dr Deth](#): > > There are no “rules”. This is America, not France. Of course there are rules, ya moron. Google “English punctuation rules” and you’ll get hundreds of references to books and articles and webpages patiently explaining to self-satisfied idiots like you the basic, standard, conventional rules of using punctuation marks in written English. No, these rules are not legally enforced, and nobody will do anything to you if you don’t follow them except point and laugh at you. But that’s not the same thing as not having any rules at all. The only written languages that have no punctuation rules are ones that have no punctuation. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/25 "2009-01-23T19:05:01Z")
I just leave them off always. Safer that way. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/26 "2009-01-23T19:10:34Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > There \*are no \*“rules”. This is America, not France. There are standards to which public written communication should adhere. It may not matter much if you send a grammatically muddled text message to your friends, but newspapers, magazines, the text on television, news websites, signs, books, etc. should all adhere to those standards. If they don’t, then those involved look uneducated and silly. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/27 "2009-01-23T19:15:16Z")
I hate the Oakland As. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/28 "2009-01-23T19:16:15Z")
> [@CaerieD](#): > > Try having to go through a 80,000+ word document and correct every single time an apostrophe is used incorrectly, which is inevitably _every time_. And then sometimes some dumb shit doesn’t know the difference between commas and periods and comes up with crap like: > > > [@](#): > > > > Sally crossed the room, “I don’t want any pie, thanks.” She said. Not being snarky: If you are going to complain about punctuation and grammar please provide the correct version also as a comparison and therefore a learning tool. Should it be: Sally crossed the room, “I don’t want any pie, thanks”, she said. or better yet: Sally crossed the room and said, “I don’t want any pie, thanks.” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/29 "2009-01-23T19:19:07Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Of course there are rules, ya moron. Google “English punctuation rules” and you’ll get hundreds of references to books and articles and webpages patiently explaining to self-satisfied idiots like you the basic, standard, conventional rules of using punctuation marks in written English. > > . Yes, and each reference can (and often does) set it’s own rules. For example- it is “an historic” or “a historic”? There are no “basic, standard, conventional rules of using punctuation marks in written English.”. There are various guidelines and usages. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/30 "2009-01-23T19:19:28Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I hate the Oakland As. Nicely played. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/31 "2009-01-23T19:21:32Z")
> [@CaerieD](#): > > There are standards to which public written communication should adhere. . Which standards? Set by who? A lot of “standards” were made up by dudes that wanted to force Englsih to conform to the rules for Latin. Some still follow a few of them. Some “standards” were made up, followed by a few, then dropped. “Standards” change every day and are mutable. The only “standard” is that it is understandable and in more or less common usage. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/32 "2009-01-23T19:26:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Who cares? :rolleyes: You know, you’ve complained in a Pit thread about other posters putting signatures or signoff lines in their posts. You can, by God, post in the Queen’s English correctly, and you, by God, should be forced to, if you can force me not to sign my name. The signature issue is a **lot** more minor and a **lot** less irritating than simply ejecting random keystroke’s all’ overthe plase because you don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/33 "2009-01-23T19:30:03Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Nicely played. Actually, no. The “A’s” in “Oakland A’s” is a contraction of “Athletics”, and thus the apostrophe is correctly used. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/34 "2009-01-23T19:35:22Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Which standards? Set by who? That should be “Set by whom?”. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/35 "2009-01-23T19:42:01Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, and each reference can (and often does) set it’s own rules. For example- it is “an historic” or “a historic”? Please Lord, let that “it’s” be a whoosh. Look, the point of usage rules is preservation of clarity. Sure, English is loaded with contradictory and sometimes silly guidelines (and frankly, the possessive “its” is a great example of an arbitrary guideline). No argument. But the implication that because there are no “rules” (in the sense you want to apply the term) means there are no conventions which rise to the level of needing to be followed is wrong. The lazy and the stupid may take their solace from arguing “there are no rules.” However, it’s the one who eats, shoots, and leaves who will be able to communicate effectively, and those who communicate clearly are the ones who end up ruling the lazy and the stupid. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/36 "2009-01-23T19:47:02Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > You know, you’ve complained in a Pit thread about other posters putting signatures or signoff lines in their posts. You can, by God, post in the Queen’s English correctly, and you, by God, should be forced to, if you can force me not to sign my name. No, I have no problem at all with posters putting their signatures in the “sig”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/37 "2009-01-23T19:50:23Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No, I have no problem at all with posters putting their signatures in the “sig”. That’s not what he said, you retarded twatwaffle. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/38 "2009-01-23T19:51:07Z")
Seriously. Is it just me, or has everyone completely forgotten how to use the damn things in the past three or four months? ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/39 "2009-01-23T19:56:19Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > There are three Ms in that word. > I have 15 DVDs in my pants. > The 1980s will never die. > > An apostrophe is extraneous and messy. Especially trying to get one to stretch to fit over those three lines. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608/40 "2009-01-23T19:59:36Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Actually, no. The “A’s” in “Oakland A’s” is a contraction of “Athletics”, and thus the apostrophe is correctly used. No, it isn’t. It’s an initialism, not a contraction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake-redux/482608.md?page=3)