Apostrophe query - may I consult the experts . . .

[MsPontipine]

Mrs Cross has a book. Is it Mrs Cross' book or Mrs Cross's book?? Cheers loves

I'm going to use THESE!

On the thread-killing thread, that is. Not another post on a wrong thread. Dearie me no.

Apropos of apostrophes (because I haven't been on here long enough to be brave enough to start a new thread about it), I did like the cross-publication echo in the Grauniad of the recent Private Eye debate on where the apostrophe should go when discussing the corner belonging to the pedants. Neat sidestep.

And to go even further OT, I don't like the redesign of the Grauniad's navigation either. TWO clicks from the homepage to Books instead of one? Wrong. Sick and wrong.

Sorry, I'll go away now.

threadie my dearest, I don't know quite what to say. Is there someone in RL who can be there with you at this terrible time?

Flossie: Hmmm. Is it one of those things like "chair" that seemed ludicrous (to some, though of course not to me) in the early eighties, but are now the norm? Or is "Pedantry Corner" grammatical correctness gorn mad?

I just thought it was amusing. The Private Eye letters page has had a war raging over where the apostrophe goes (or doesn't) for several issues and it seemed like a sneaky solution.

Could you provide us with a precis of the debate Flossie? Can't see the problem with Pedants' Corner myself (after all, 'tis Pseuds' Corner, isn't it?), but maybe I'm being thick...

I think the debate is not about the apostrophe per saaaaaaay.

More whether the corner contains pedants or belongs to them.

Pedants Corner v Pedants' Corner.

I must say that I have always leaned towards teh slightly more literary Pedant's Corner, where a single Pedant stands for the whole gamut of pedants.

Oh, I see. Ta

Still interested to see how PE managed to sustain a lengthy correspondence about this...

Too much time on their hands, pol. I, on the other hand, am a very busy lady with Important Things to do. I wouldn't dream of joining a thread about bringing babies to weddings (680 posts). Wouldn't dream of it.

Noooooo. Or of reliving old crushes from the 290 bus.

The point about Pseuds Corner is pertinent for into that territory the debate did stray. Hence longevity, for Pseuds Corner clearly sacrosanct.

Must confess to having only had time to skim PE of late so a debate-precis would require some diving under the bed to dig out the back issues...

I used to have a Private Eye habit, pre-children. Now I struggle to read cereal packets.