the apostrophe police

[Lux_Fiat]

And don’t get me started about Pats Gifts.

Sounds like a perverted Sioux.

[Danielinthewolvesden]

*Originally posted by Necros *
The standard abbreviation is bros., of course. But I’m not so sure that “Bro’s” isn’t in the spirit of the law, as it were. Apostrophes are definitely used to represent missing letters. So even while the standard abbreviation may be bros, I wouldn’t quibble too vociferously against “bro’s”. This is one of those ways the language evolves; it’s not explicitly wrong, to my mind.

(I simply cannot believe I’m agreeing with Danielinthewolvesden about a matter of grammar. Shoot me now.) **

Thanks necros- Ilove you too. I should have made myself clearer- I said “bro’s” is A contraction for “brothers”- not in any way the correct contraction. But, indeed, it is a contraction, and thus the apos. is not out of place. That does not make it correct english, as we already have a contraction for “brothers”- but is would not be an incorrect use of the dreaded apos.

[Emperor_Penguin]

If things have not been clarified enough already, here is a little comic to help you out. I know I need it.

Bob’s Quick Guide to the Apostrophe, You Idiots

(Just FTR, that “you idiots” is part of the title, and not a comment on any particular poster)

[kaylasdad99]

*Originally posted by So Far So Good *
**Mis’s’placed apos’trophes’ s’houldn’t be a problem any more if we jus’t s’tart requiring that apos’trophes’ be placed after every s’. I promis’e you will get us’ed to it in no time! **

Perhap’s you are looking for: "require that an apo’strophe PRECEDE every “'s.”

[kaylasdad99]

Please accept my apologies and mentally amend my last comment to read:

“require that an apo’strophe PRECEDE
every “'s”.”

[evilbeth]

*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine *
**Is it just me, or are our British and Irish friends unusually prone to this sort of thing? Why is this? Do they not teach punctuation in the schools over there, or has allowing the comma splice opened the floodgates to general anarchy? **

This is very true. My mother is British and she writes rather well but she insists on using the most bizarre punctuation rules. T

he woman puts commas wherever there’s a space she feels is bare. She uses apostrophes with everything. It drives me nuts!

I think that much of the reason I decided to become an editor has to do with having to read her writing over the years!

[teela_brown]

I see a misspelling typo in my earlier post. And in a grammar thread! I was trying to be so prissy-perfect!

::sobs::

[Gyrate]

*Originally posted by pugluvr *
Proper name ending in S: Sacks
Singlular possessive of Sacks: Sacks’s
Plural of Sacks: Sackses
Plural possessive of Sacks: Sackses’
**

Or in other example:

Me: “Excuse me, I’m trying to find the Narcissus place. Can you point me towards Mr. Narcissus’s house?”
Local yokel: “Bob Narcissus? Sure, I know him. Know his wife Echo, too. Nice people, the Narcissuses. See that house at the end of the block? That’s the Narcissuses’.”

Now read that out loud… :eek:

jr8

[Drew_Blade]

kayla’s’dad99–

To avoid all confu’s’ion I ‘s’hall ‘s’tart u’s’ing apo’s’trophe’s’ both before and after the letter ‘s’.
Thank’s’ for pointing out the weakne’s’‘s’ of my previou’s’ po’s’ition.

[Tansu]

Fretful Popentine: British children are taught punctuation in school now, through the National Literacy Framework. The National Literacy Framework has been in existence for 3 years. There was a period of about fifteen to twenty years during which hardly any punctuation or grammar was taught at all. People aged between 15 and 35 or so often have an appalling lack of awareness of the workings of the language.

[Tansu]

Add some conjunction phrases to that last post.