Punctuation lovers...I know you are out there

[popsycal]

Check out this book
thoroughly recommended

i was totally put off this book when i found out she is the person who did "cutting a dash" on r4. that program was awful. she came across as a miserable know it all pedant, who thought she was really clever... except that a really clever person would find a more useful outlet for their intelligence, imo.

we have the book, dh bought it, is it worth a look?

bk - it's an easy read, you can do it in a day or so if you get the time. Must admit when I read that she wrote for the Times that put me off somewhat but some smile moments in the book. Have become completely paranoid about my commas now though.

if you look further down this thread, i had a fit about some of her comma rules!

I have it too - what stunned me last night was not her grammar or punctuation but the phrase "like detonating a dam" (with ref to the deluge of letters she got after first mentioning the theme) - you detonate a bomb, surely? I wasn't aware that a dam was intrinsically explosive...

My family received two copies of Lynn Truss's book for Christmas. I also had another book, on spelling. I suspect 2004 is the year I shall feel hunted wrt to anything I write.......

So sad, I've just scrolled back to read the comma bit. But stumbled upon popsycal's rant about the possessive plural. I agree with you, not Trussy. James' room should be James' room not James's. You can use s' if the /s/ has a iz sound but otherwise it's s's. That's horrible. I know James does have an iz sound so not good example but ykwim.

tinker - what do you think about thomas's room.....?

thomas' room looks neater but this has cause much mirth re St Thomas' Hospital hasn't it? Hmm, having to think now.

But Tinker, how would you say James'? Would you say James or James's? Cos I would definitely say James's - and Thomas's, popsycal - so I would write it like that.

Or is Thomas different because it has 2 syllables? (Discuss...)

well, the reason i ask is because my ds got a bedroom door sign for xmas from a relative....can't quite bare to put it on his door though!!

I'd say Jame zz, I think The /s/ in Thomas is softer so I'd say Thomas's. Oh, I'm contradicting myself aren't I? Do I need a question mark after a rhetorical question? Anyway, I've got a name ending in s and I've always used s' so there!

st james' park (ie newcastleunited's football stadium) is st james'
and jesus' disciples

But she says Jesus' is one of the exceptions doesn't she? Why? Cos no-one wants to argue with god

How about St Deny's? Can't remember if I've mentioned this before - it's the name of a street near here and it really is St Deny's, but some people say Dennis, and some people say Dennis's, and I've never heard anyone say "denies" which is what it should be. I think!

dp i put the bedroom sign on his door or not!?
argh
need to lighten up methinks!!

there is a street near where i work called
holywell avenue
everyone says hollywell
does my head in!

Isn't is a misspelling of St Denis? Have I misspelt misspelling?

Holywell is in N Wales and is pronounced Hollywell though. Like Holyhead is Hollyhead.

Tippex?

popsycal, my ds thinks Newcastle's ground is St James's! (But then we don't live there.)

I've just thought of a v tricky name - Louis, pronounced the French way. I think you would say it "Louie's" but how would you write it? Louis's?

jan - deo st james'

It really is St Deny, Tinker - I googled it once and there is at least one church called it (in East Anglia?) but I couldn't find any information.

just found afew punctuation quizzes since we al seem to have nothing better to do than sit and discuss punctuation during this festive season :0

Great page, popsy!

btw I would put Thomas's Room up cos it's fine by me but if it makes you want to scream then Tinker's Tippex suggestion would fit in with the gospel according to St Truss!

Did either of you notice her example of the very weird greengrocer's sign? (It was one of those sent after the dam exploded.) The sign said Carrott's and then listed things like potatoes and apples all spelt properly with no rogue apostrophes. It turned out the bloke's name was Carrott - I thought that was great!

it sounds fine when you say it...but can;t bare the sight of it!!!
argh