oh dear - they're giving up

ms traditional · ‎03-09-2010

The Apostrophe Protection Society of the UK is closing down in disgust. its members are throwing in the towel saying that the cause is lost.

The Apostrophe Protection Society was a UK society with "the specific aim of preserving the correct use of this currently much abused punctuation mark". It was founded in 2001 by John Richards, a retired sub-editor, in response to his observations of widespread incorrect use of thpostrophe.

does this mean i should stop correcting grammar mistakes of so-called journalists on major networks (mutter mutter mutter.....)???!!

naw. i haven't given up - yet.!!! thanks to the excellent teaching of one Miss Dabareiner way back when.

Drythe · ‎07-09-2011

@ms traditional

In case they vanish altogether, I’m sending you a few to hang on to.

’’’’’

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras

ms traditional · ‎03-09-2010

@Drythe that's very generous of you. you couldn't be nicer on this sad day. hope all's well

there! i used a few - pls. send me more!

haddon9 · ‎03-09-2010

I never knew that such a society existed! LOL!

I sell personalized signs on Etsy. Often someone will order a sign from me asking for an apostrophe to be placed near the end of a last name to pluralize it. I try to very nicely explain that the apostrophe at the end of a name should be used as either a singular or a plural possessive which determines where the apostrophe is placed (usually before or after the "s"). It's not for plualizing a name. This falls on deaf ears.

So many times they will just tell me that they think it "looks right" with the apostrophe. Here's an example..... "The Smith's wish you a Merry Christmas!"...ugh!

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

Now it will be an apostrophe free-for-all.

ms traditional · ‎03-09-2010

@haddon9 wrote:
I never knew that such a society existed! LOL!

I sell personalized signs on Etsy. Often someone will order a sign from me asking for an apostrophe to be placed near the end of a last name to pluralize it. I try to very nicely explain that the apostrophe at the end of a name should be used as either a singular or a plural possessive which determines where the apostrophe is placed (usually before or after the "s"). It's not for plualizing a name. This falls on deaf ears.

So many times they will just tell me that they think it "looks right" with the apostrophe. Here's an example..... "The Smith's wish you a Merry Christmas!"...ugh!

@haddon9 ah, you get it! don't give up! you're doing people a favor.

ms traditional · ‎03-09-2010

@ValuSkr wrote:
Now it will be an apostrophe free-for-all.

let's fight back @ValuSkr !

haddon9 · ‎03-09-2010

@ms traditional All I can say is that I try. However if they insist on incorrect grammar, I don't sign my name to the back & I also keep all messages just in case there are some disagreements down the road.

ms traditional · ‎03-09-2010

@haddon9 wrote:
@ms traditional All I can say is that I try. However if they insist on incorrect grammar, I don't sign my name to the back & I also keep all messages just in case there are some disagreements down the road.

@haddon9 it's a battle, isn't it? and i don't blame you for not wanting your business reputation to be attached to such mistakes... and very smart of you to keep correspondence as proof in these crazy days.