Apostrophe Pedants

[WigWamBam]

I saw this notice this morning, in an art shop window above a display of canvases:

Other size's of canva's available.

Isn't it ghastly?

[Beansmum]

I'd forgotten what a good word ghastly is, must use it more often!

[Sponge]

Fabulous.
Just randomly stick them in before every s in a word.
At least it wasn't in a book shop

[Moomina]

I might possibly excuse the "size's" but what on earth is the justification for "canva's"?!

A new barber has just opened up in our village that rejoices in the name Scruff's n' Toffs. How does someone look at that and think 'Yeah, that looks right'??

[fisil]

Love it.

We set up a savings account for ds to use to go to university when he is all grown up and clever. The building society returned the paperwork to us - they'd changed the name of the account to "dss saving's account". Doesn't bode well for him being clever!

[HunkerMunker]

It's truly gha'stly!!! FF'S why cant people get it righ't?!!

[WigWamBam]

I wouldn't excuse the "size's" either - I hate the random use/abuse of apostrophes! Scruff's n' Toffs is horrible!

[NotQuiteCockney]

You'd think they'd at least be consistent. Doesn't Scruff's n' Toff's look better?

[Moomina]

I agree there is no excuse really but canva's is just a joke.

Scr'uffs ''n Toff''s is just an appalling name however you apostrophise it...

[Mothernature]

There is, in fact, a rule that states you use an apostrophe when pluralising an acronym. Scary and strange, but true.

As it happens the rule goes further, an apostrophe should also be used when pluralising a number, example:

There are 100's of ways to f##k up the usage of an apostrophe.

queen of pendents

[WigWamBam]

There might be, mn, but none of the words we're talking about are acronyms!

I'd like to do as Lynne Truss does - carry a stock of apostrophes around with me and add them in where they're missing, and cross them out where they're in the wrong place. I expect I'd get banned from most shops in our town centre, though.

[starlover]

i couldn't help myself. i was in ikea. i had a pencil. and there was a missing apostrophe....
so i put it in

i am too, too sad.

i don't even remember what the sign said... but it was right there, and it was calling me to alter it... so i did!

(notice, i am still too lazy to use capital letters correctly when typing though!)

[Mothernature]

APOSTROPHES

I think that I shall never see
Worse use of the apostrophe
Than greets me early every day,
As morning papers come my way.
The St. Pete Times reports the date
Of it's vice president debate. (1)

How often we see mis-used "it's"
Enough to give us pedants fits!
The signs in town find "pig's" for "pigs"
And "car's" and "bar's" and "wig's" for "wigs"
TruValue is the store for "key's"
And one place offers "canopy's" (!)

If you've apostrophes to spare,
I'd like some "robin's" for my hair.
Meanwhile we'll try, the fools like me,
To tame the wild apostrophe

[Levanna]

I can barely keep my apostrophes under control! Though it's exclamations I really have a problem with! I can't help adding them! See?! I can no longer write anything by hand as I no longer have any idea how to convey feeling without the use of emoticons either .

[starlover]

haha, I am the same Levanna.
When I am writing things by hand I want to keep adding emoticons, and also abbreviations like LOL, and PMSL etc etc!

[Satine]

A local pub is festooned with signs advertising "Party's, weddings and events, acomadation available". As if that wasn't bad enough, they currently have an Italian Job theme on with signs everywhere saying "Your only supposed to blow the bloody doors off". It turns me into a 'Disgusted from Tunbridge Wells' type every time I see it. Grrr..

[woodpops]

Ds is called Ellis and often at pre-school his work has Ellis's on it. Really winds me up.

[Twiglett]

that's right though isn't it woodpops

this work belongs to Ellis

it is Ellis's work

[Twiglett]

[woodpops]

I always thought it was Ellis'. That's right isn't it??

[woodpops]

Og God, now you've got me thinking!!!

[woodpops]

Look I can't even spell Oh now

[starlover]

It can be either.

[TheBearWhisperer]

Ellis' is the old traditional way but Ellis's is widely recognised as being acceptable now.

I am an apostrophe freak to so why oh why did i have a Thomas

[woodpops]

There you go then. You learn somthing new everyday. Ellis's still doesn't look right though

[Sponge]

No Woodpops it's Ellis's.
As there is a street in London called St James's etc.
The apostrophe sits on the end only when you're talking about a plural possessive e.g. the ladies' handbags.