In the case of Hawai’i, the mark is an ʻokina, though it is often rendered as an apostrophe. Apostrophes have their tails facing down, and look like floating commas. The ʻokina’s tail faces up.
Sure, the problem has always existed, but has never been ubiquitous until the last couple of decades, in which we’ve had the 1-2 punch of desktop publishing and the internet. It used to be that most of what we read was created by professional typesetters and printers, assisted by professional proofreaders. The only exceptions were personal correspondence and the writing of children or foreigners. We simply didn’t see words misspelled that often, so the correct spelling and punctuation was ingrained in our minds. Now, sadly, the incorrect ones are being ingrained.
“It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.”
Oop’s
But “it’s” is hard! My brain says it’s “it” with its possesive ending, but it’s not, since “its” is its own word.
(Did I screw that up?)
No, just alway remember it’s not hi’s book nor he’r book, it’s its book.
“It’s” is correct there. Have I been whoo’shed? 
It’s a part of the larger phenomenom of the modern generation creating its own “rules” about language, created largely because it’s so non-rule dependent. Texting, IMing, etc. rely upon a whole-language approach to the written word; it’s not how you spell it or grammarize it that is important, but, rather, whether its meaning is conveyed. And, of course, many of the generation in question have, in fact, been raised through the schools through a whole-language approach, which puts the emphasis upon creating with language over prescriptive rules right from the start.
In a way, it’s a funny circle. Grammar and spelling rules were very lacking in formalized structure prior to the advent of the printing press. Now, as we move away again from printed materials to an electronic analog, language and its rules become less formal.
You’ve been whooshed by a comma.
It’s the comma, man.
Or did the guy that write that Subaru tag line call himself the comma man?
Not so strange; I think the assumption is that the organization belongs to the named owner, so it is a possession belonging to Sidley, hence ‘Sidley’s’ (business).
This is also a common phenomenon here in Chicago, at least in my neck of the city. A local food store, Jewel, is often called “Jewels.” “Aldi” becomes “Aldis,” As in, “I was over at Aldis to pick up some milk last night when you called.” To me, it sounds like it’s being used as a possessive, as there’s plenty of joints around here called “Nicky’s” and “Anthony’s” and “Jimmy’s” that the tendency is to extend this even to store names like Jewel and Aldi. Although, now that I think of it, I do believe people will use the definite article before the proper noun, so you’d get something like “I was over at the Jewels on 95th Street” or something like that. Personally, I use the additional “s” at random. Sometimes I say it, sometimes I don’t. I don’t know why.
I have argued about this book with Lissener, and while I agree about the Old Fart thing, the only solid criticisms I have seen of the book come from differences in American and British English, particularly in the use of the semicolon.
Even in the error you report she is correct in her grammar, just not in Lands’ End’s response. By the way, had they admitted that by the time of her first printing?
Oh, and while we are arguing apostrophe use, here is a question for you. I work with military people with whom overuse of acronyms is endemic. Many of these act as verbs, ones for which I occasionally need a past participle. As many times people know the acronym but have forgotten what it actually stands for, I unable to write out what it stands for in order to preserve clarity.
So, what is the past participle of NDE?
We need to NDE that piece soon.
No, that’s OK, we NDE[-ed, -d, 'd?] it yesterday.
I had no idea that standard American and British differed with respect to the semicolon.
Originally Posted by Colophon
“It’s” is correct there. Have I been whoo’shed?
Colophon: And by the “Oop’s”
Ignatz
I was surprised as well, but apparently American English went through a standardization for its use (like you’d ever know that by seeing how people use it) that never occurred in England.
OK, now I am having trouble finding a good reference for that statement. I don’t think I am misremembering though.
Maybe that would account for all the comma splices that J. K. Rowling uses in the Harry Potter books. I could hardly get through them without my brain screaming semicolon every few minutes.
When I joined the Army, their rule was to use 's to pluralize acronyms (ICBM, ICBM’s) but changed that rule shortly afterwards (ICBM, ICBMs).
There’s also the issue of hypercorrection. Hypercorrection is also why so many people make the mistake of using X and I as a plural object and say things such as Return the form to X or myself.
I seem to recall Strunk and White’s guide stated the usage of apostrophes with acronyms was a matter of preference (which shocked me at the time), but can’t find my copy at the moment.
Yeah, but I think that is for pluralization. I have never heard a rule for past participilization.