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

[WillLiveLifeAgain]

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.

This gives me yet another opportunity to mention the name of a school I saw many years ago now. I am not exaggerating when I say that we would not have applied there for our children, on the grounds that a secondary school with a name that was so obviously grammatically wrong couldn't be trusted to teach anything. It was called The Hawthorne's. It stood near Hawthorne Road. I was so gobsmacked when I came across it that I tried to see if it had perhaps been founded by a person called Hawthorne, so maybe historically it had been Hawthorne's School, but no. It's not called that now, I'm relieved to say.

@Pogggle - this is absolutely brilliant and has made me laugh so much. Thank you!

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 saw a headstone a couple of years ago with 'Your simply the best' etc from the Tina Turner song engraved on it.

I don't blame the supplier of the sign in the slightest. It is most definitely on the couple to check.

I think it was an Etsy sign as they did the decorations themselves and didn't have a wedding "dresser" or whatever they are called now.

But the thing is it's their job! No way would I contract a sign company who didn't include spelling and grammar check as part of the service. They are attaching their name to something that makes them look incompetent.

I walked into a furniture shop once with a homemade sign saying 'dinning table's'. I walked back out again.

I have autism/ADHD but also good grammar/spelling - are some people really using those as excuses? I can understand dyslexia but by definition you’re going to struggle with words if you have that.

@Pogggle I think the singer Jessie J has an incorrectly spelled tattoo on her body that really restricts her clothing.

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

I know someone once refused to buy hair straighteners of all things from a website as they had spelled something incorrectly. It does smell of incompetence a little.

They did indeed and we were all the better for it. There are some truly horrendous attempts at grammar nowadays.

@WillLiveLifeAgain are either of them greengrocers?

But it's not their job to check or correct spelling or punctuation. That's the job of a proof reader or copy editor. The maker/printer's job is to make or print what they have been given. Some offer an add on service, but it's just that, an add on.

Shouldn't that be "fascist" not "fascistic" ?

Just wondering.....

😱 Shocking

Ha ha no I don't think they have any in the family either.
Greengrocery is somehow exempt though don't you think. I love a good bag of tomatoe's

Might I suggest you join ...?

Apostrophe Protection Society - Wikipedia

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!!!

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

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....

An apostrophe catastrophe indeed.

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

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.

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.