# How to use apostrophes, for fuck's sake **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 20, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake/176336 "2003-05-20T13:59:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake/176336/101 "2003-05-22T01:27:42Z")
I wonder if I can cite this thread for the attorneys who review my work, when they edit my perfectly correct, apostrophe-free plural abbreviations. Damn lawyers! ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake/176336/102 "2003-05-22T01:28:49Z")
Or maybe I can just hire Bob the Angry Flower to run our next in-house legal writing training session. That should go over really well. ---
**Author:** ![Themis00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/13edae/32.png) [@Themis00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Themis00)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake/176336/103 "2003-05-22T03:25:39Z")
LOL, some of you are intellectual crackheads. J/K ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake/176336/104 "2003-05-22T05:49:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > \*\*The em dash is alt-0151 on a PC. (Hold down alt while typint “0151” on the numeric keypad.) > > The en dash is alt-0150 > > There usually is a distinction between when the en- and when the em- dash are used. > > Generally, the en-dash is used for inclusive figures, periods of time, and that sort of thing. > > Eg: > > The years 1947–1952 > > He will be gone April–October. (Better perhaps to leave the preposition in in cases like these.) > > The em-dash is used for asides, breaks in thought, long pauses and the such (as in **Daniel** ’s example above.) \*\* Great stuff! Now, about the proper use of the forward slash in vB code…😛 😛 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake/176336/105 "2003-05-22T08:23:41Z")
I’d like to welcome **gluteus maximus** to the boards, and congratulate him/her for his/her intelligent good humor (or humour, if you will). ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake/176336/106 "2003-05-23T03:59:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by julian64 \* > \*\*Mind you, I’m paranoid that someone reading my CV will think my correct use of the apostrophe in “14 years’ experience” is “wrong” that I write “14 years of experience” instead. It’s especially important not be _thought_ to be making a mistake when you’re a technical author, copywriter and proofreader by trade! \*\* Thank you, you saved me a trip to a style book. I know what you mean about those little technical things. I have been a copyeditor and reporter and got so hung about about “Writing samples available on request” OR “Writing samples available upon request” that I now say simply, “Writing samples available.” If they can’t figure out to request them they’re too dumb to work for anyway. ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake/176336/107 "2003-05-23T17:52:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by julian64 \* > \*\* > > Mind you, I’m so paranoid that someone reading my CV will think my correct use of the apostrophe in “14 years’ experience” is “wrong”, that I write “14 years of experience” instead. It’s especially important not to be _thought_ to be making a mistake when you’re a technical author, copywriter and proofreader by trade! \*\* Proofreading should always be done twice for best effect. ---
**Author:** ![Hinten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecd19e/32.png) [@Hinten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hinten)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake/176336/108 "2003-05-23T21:50:22Z")
I just thought of another one that I see frequently on this board: ‘Here, here’ might or might not persuade your dog to come closer to you. ‘Hear, hear’ is used to express approval or affirmation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-apostrophes-for-fucks-sake/176336.md?page=5)