grocer's apostrophe- missing

[Madlentileater]

just seen this at the corner shop-
kindlin. Can't decide if this is a northern thing?

[2sugars]

What does it mean? Kindling wood????

[Bink]

So do you think it should say

kindlin'

because they've not bothered to put in the "g"?

[Hulababy]

Kindlin?

Am Northern but don't understand.

[NomDePlume]

maybe he just can't spell

[monkeytrousers]

Are they not allowed?

Is it not a bit like a baker's dozen?

[fryalot]

Presume it's kindling.

MT - they're called Greengrocer's Apostrophes because greengrocers have a habit of writing signs like this:

carrot's
potatoe's
mushroom's

when of course there should not be an apostrophe there.

Which brings me nicely to:

Bloke walks past a greengrocers every day and sees a sign that says:

Carrot's potatoes, mushrooms and peas

One day, his curiosity gets the better of him so he goes into the shop to ask why the word carrot's has an apostrophe but the others don't.

The greengrocer says....


















"because my name is Carrot"

[Madlentileater]

yes, kindling wood. Have tried saying it in my head and can't imagine not hearing the g. (brought up in the south)- how do you mis-spell a word like that?

[fryalot]

I was brought up in the north west and I never pronounce the end G

So I would actually say "kindlin'"

[Madlentileater]

but how would you spell it? I guess it's not a word you write down very often....unless you're a grocer!

[fryalot]

well, I would spell it KINDLING but then again, I can spell.

Presumably, the chap didn't have a clue how to spell it so wrote it down as it sounds to him.

[monkeytrousers]

Oh it's like QI on here

Thanks Stephen Fry, I mean, Squonk

[fryalot]

right, next it's what we like to call General Ignorance...