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Original poster

Grammar Police v Wedding Party *MNHQ tweaked title at OP's request*

191 replies

WillLiveLifeAgain · 01/10/2024 15:27

I'm usually OK with grammar but this one has me scratching my head. Probably lack of sleep (not over this).

Went to a wedding at the weekend. They had one of those neon signs with their surname but added an apostrophe. So it said

The Smith's (name changed)

Shouldn't it have said The Smiths? There were four of them including children. Not one belonging to something/someone.

I'm very happy to be proved wrong. I'm not a grammar nazi but would hope something like that would have been right?

I know this is AIBU so disclaimer obviously what matters is the happy marriage of two loving people not an apostrophe.

OP posts:
Original poster
WillLiveLifeAgain · 01/10/2024 17:05

OhTediosity · 01/10/2024 17:03

Contrary to your OP, you knew perfectly well that the apostrophe was incorrect.

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If I'd simply wanted to mock my friends on Mumsnet I would have. I didn't.

OP posts:
Stickthatupyourdojo · 01/10/2024 17:05

I bought my friend and her husband a sign I knew she'd love with her new married name. Her new surname ends with an S so the sign I ordered ends with 'es' after their surname ("Joneses" as a similar example). She has never displayed it but since then has posted an awful lot on social media referring to her family as 's ("Jones's"). I didn't get a thank you. I wish I hadn't bought it. I'm not even 100% confident writing this that I got it right anyway now Blush

Original poster
WillLiveLifeAgain · 01/10/2024 17:03

OhTediosity · 01/10/2024 17:03

Contrary to your OP, you knew perfectly well that the apostrophe was incorrect.

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Stranger on Mumsnet, thank you for knowing me better than I know myself. Only on AIBU.

OP posts:
OhTediosity · 01/10/2024 17:03

WillLiveLifeAgain · 01/10/2024 17:01

Eh?

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Contrary to your OP, you knew perfectly well that the apostrophe was incorrect.

TheHangingGardensOfBasildon · 01/10/2024 17:03

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 01/10/2024 15:42

You'd think the person making the sign would query it too, wouldn't you? Although I suppose it could have been for a house sign...

I saw a big easel outside a wedding venue the other day with 'Sharon*'s wedding' on it. Apparently whoever Sharon was marrying wasn't important enough to be on the sign!

*not the name, but similar in that it wasn't a name that might be a surname.

Maybe it was two women getting married, both of them being called Sharon.

But then we're back to the issue in the OP again...!

Original poster
WillLiveLifeAgain · 01/10/2024 17:02

Flughafenkoenigin · 01/10/2024 16:58

I voted YABU for trivialising the holocaust by using nazi in this context. The Nazis murdered millions of people.

You are right about the apostrophe, however.

I have requested Mumsnet amend the title and OP. I have apologised for my ill judged use of the term but do not require a history lesson.

OP posts:
Original poster
WillLiveLifeAgain · 01/10/2024 17:01

OhTediosity · 01/10/2024 16:59

This is a strange thread. OP clearly didn't actually need to clarify their understanding of the punctuation at all if they can't bear to look at a blackboard which says 'Pizza's'.

If you wanted an entertaining thread to mock The Smiths on a Tuesday afternoon then why not just say so?

Eh?

OP posts:
VeterinaryCareAssistant · 01/10/2024 17:01

Pogggle · 01/10/2024 15:37

If it makes you feel any better, I saw a photo that my local tattooist uploaded the other day of one she'd just done that said 'know you're worth'. I actually couldn't believe that neither her or the person having it done thought to just double check that it was right 😬

A y on the end would make that better.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 01/10/2024 17:00

WingSluts · 01/10/2024 15:48

The one that really boggles me is when this happens to some items in a list but not others. For example:

We went out to buy bread rolls, tomatoe's, apples and three do-nut's.

With my grumpy old pedant’s hat on ‘Donuts’ irritates me anyway - it’s doughnuts! Made with dough, not ‘do’!

OhTediosity · 01/10/2024 16:59

This is a strange thread. OP clearly didn't actually need to clarify their understanding of the punctuation at all if they can't bear to look at a blackboard which says 'Pizza's'.

If you wanted an entertaining thread to mock The Smiths on a Tuesday afternoon then why not just say so?

JudgeJ · 01/10/2024 16:59

godmum56 · 01/10/2024 16:56

I have heard it called "the Greengrocers' apostrophe"

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In our former town the butcher would ask me to run an eye over his apostrophes, I told him once to leave them out, fewer people notice a missing apostrophe than an incorrect one.

Flughafenkoenigin · 01/10/2024 16:58

I voted YABU for trivialising the holocaust by using nazi in this context. The Nazis murdered millions of people.

You are right about the apostrophe, however.

GoBackToTheStart · 01/10/2024 16:58

I've definitely noticed an uptick in the number of apostrophes used in plurals, and it drives me bonkers.

We received a lovely wedding gift last year but it was labelled "The Smith's" rather than "The Smiths" and I just can't bring myself to use it in public!

Zimunya · 01/10/2024 16:57

honeybeetheoneandonly · 01/10/2024 16:24

They could still get an "it" tattooed at the end and pretend to be sponsored by L'Oréal.

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@honeybeetheoneandonly - so clever! Honestly, thus tattoo is teh gift that keeps giving 😀

JudgeJ · 01/10/2024 16:57

KnottedTwine · 01/10/2024 15:45

I followed a builder's van the other week which had the brand name (similar to) Cambuslang Builders. The van was proudly stating that they did extension's, foundation's, patio's, ground work's and loft conversion's.

Again, you'd think the person who produced the vinyl stickers for the van might have checked, but obviously not.

I once saw a brand new Mercedes Sprinter with what looked to be an expensive livery promoting Bridle Dress'es.
The number of variations on Accommodation I've seen on expensive looking hotel signs is astonishing, numerous permutations of the c and m.

godmum56 · 01/10/2024 16:56

KnottedTwine · 01/10/2024 15:31

Yes it should. A plural. Smiths. One Smith, two Smiths. And even if it had been a sign about their wedding, it would have been "The Smiths' Wedding". The Wedding of the Smiths, given you need more than one person to be married.

So many people get this wrong. Apple's, orange's, it's/its...

I have heard it called "the Greengrocers' apostrophe"

stickygotstuck · 01/10/2024 16:48

If I were a printer, I would absolutely double check with the client, but I would not correct out of hand. Especially names.

Mostly, because of people like my poor uncle. His surname is Smyth (not real surname). The amount of people that have helfpully 'corrected' my cousins' names in things like competitions, Scouts, etc. is quite something. OK, it is a bit less common than Smyth, but marginally. So that makes me wary of assuming.

Having said that, The Smith's of the OP are clearly wrong.

gotmyknickersinatwist · 01/10/2024 16:47

WillLiveLifeAgain · 01/10/2024 16:16

Just addressing the nazi comments.

I don't wish to trivialise Naziism - I apologise. It is a term used generally and does not imply any dumbing down of the terrible acts of the Nazis.

I'm surprised it took as many posts as it did to call out your use of the term Nazi.
It is definitely falling out of common use, thankfully.
I think you're now more likely to see 'police' used. Grammar police, fashion police, breastfeeding police, etc. All terms that may have had 'Nazi' attached to them.

Original poster
WillLiveLifeAgain · 01/10/2024 16:45

Beekeepingmum · 01/10/2024 16:38

I do think that if you go to a friend or family wedding and your lasting memory is the apostrophe on a sign it might be worth reconsidering your life choices....

Perhaps you should read the final paragraph?
Or get a life?

OP posts:
Holdyourpeace · 01/10/2024 16:41

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

JudgeJenny · 01/10/2024 16:38

An apostrophe catastrophe indeed.

Beekeepingmum · 01/10/2024 16:38

I do think that if you go to a friend or family wedding and your lasting memory is the apostrophe on a sign it might be worth reconsidering your life choices....

Boidont · 01/10/2024 16:37

Pogggle · 01/10/2024 15:37

If it makes you feel any better, I saw a photo that my local tattooist uploaded the other day of one she'd just done that said 'know you're worth'. I actually couldn't believe that neither her or the person having it done thought to just double check that it was right 😬

I’m a tattooist and I can’t tattoo words until I’ve checked over it five times for peace of mind.
Of course, clients usually insist they want exactly what they’ve written. This hurts my heart 😂😅

EDIT- autocorrect!! Ironically

TriciaA1991 · 01/10/2024 16:37

I worked in a school for a short period (as a parent and as a favour). I corrected the head's grammar in a newsletter and when she reinstated the error I showed her the rule, and apologised, but said I didnt want the school to be wrong in a document. She was really angry and told me I was rude and unprofessonal!!!