Apostrophe hell.

[marshmallowfinder]

I keep seeing the incorrect use of apostrophes in dates, for example 'the 90's.'

It should be '90s. The apostrophe indicates the missing characters. It does NOT have one before the letter s. The apostrophe is so misused...sob! Can we do anything?

You can find out a way to educate the whole world not to put the apostrophe in that particular place. You could add in some teaching about other apostrophe use. 😃

I guess I was taught to put the apostrophe in. It was a long time ago. If you could look back 50 years to see what everyone else was doing I think you'd find the apostrophe cropped up a lot, in that particular usage.

I have never, ever changed from saying 'we were' to saying 'we was' but somewhere along the line of my longish life I have stopped writing "1980's" and I now write "1980s". If I could remember exactly when and what it was that caused me to change that, I would tell you.

I hate it too. But it’s not as bad as when people use an apostrophe in a surname.

For instance, a big wedding banner reading: ‘The Giamatti’s!’

@Pupsandturtles for a second I thought you were going to criticise us Irish people the with O'

If it makes you feel better, this popped up in my active and corrected me. I never knew what to do with a year and so many people use an apostrophe I thought that was it

In my work it's the pluralisation of (many, many) acronyms that gets me: SME's, KPI's and MNE's, but partners, organisations and suppliers. Some people really set my teeth on edge by combining the two, e.g. 'we need to work with more suppliers, particularly SME's.' Or worse, 'we need to set KPIs for the SME's.' I have to refrain from commenting 'the SME's what?' but I think it every single time.

Haha, funnily enough, I actually have an Irish surname with the O’!

I love it. And I love going to Ireland, which is the only place on earth where people can spell it.

I’ve just seen one offering “guttering service’s”. Grrrr

Can we do anything?

😂 I doubt it

I'd much rather people missed it out altogether than tried to push it in where it doesn't belong!

Banana's. Grrrrr

Yes! "The Giamatti’s" what exactly? Perhaps their absurdly bad use of apostrophes. As in The Giamatti’s use of the apostrophe was a catastrophe.

Lets all calm down here. Your being so dramatic over poor use of apostrophe's mwhaha

The one that really bothers me is James’ book, rather than James’s book. It’s not two or more people called Jame sharing a book. Yet the former appears to have been taught as correct at some point. Why??

James' book is correct

And even more bothered about your use of "your" 😂

Both of these are correct. Jame’s book wouldn’t be as it suggests his name is James. It’s slightly more old school but definitely ok.

Jame - typo!

Should surnames have them? The smiths/smith's. The Scotts/Scott's

It’s not logical though is it? You’d not write Liz’ book instead of Liz’s book, and you’d certainly pronounce the s sounds before and after the apostrophe.

Down with this sort of thing!

If it’s a plural, no, if it’s a possessive, it has an apostrophe at the end (assuming there’s more than one Smith).

Oh goodness, no, if it's a straightforward plural such as 'I invited the Scotts for lunch.' Plurals don't have apostrophes.

If you were saying 'I like the Scott's car' then it does, as it indicates possession. The car belonging to the Scott family.

Thank you both

I always use this one. That's what I was taught. I'm old, though.

I saw 'she cry's' the other day ...

Agreed, I was taught this too. As far as I know "James's book" is also correct and this form seems to be more commonly used nowadays. But there's nothing wrong with "James' book".

Yes...that was the joke 😈 (also lets 🤢 when it should be let's)

@flatmop

it has come up before (often!!) & I've seen it turn into a HUGE bunfight.

I'll put the apostrophe there until my dying day as that is what I was taught by the dinosaurs & it looks wrong without it 💁🏻‍♀️

The worst apostrophe offence I've seen is at a coffee shop near me:

Panini's

NO. NO. NO.