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Pedants' corner
Original poster

Thrown out for pedantry. Do I win a prize?

36 replies

branflake81 · 14/12/2008 07:58

Yesterday at my local leisure centre a member of staff caught me surreptitiously removing a rogue apostrophe from one of their signs with a biro.

I was asked to refrain from defacing their signs (or should that be "sign's"?) and asked to leave.

I was mortified.

Surely they have spellcheckers?

OP posts:
Raalix · 14/12/2008 08:20

Don't get me started.

There used to be a shop in our local shopping centre called Home Idea's.

IDEA (apostrophe) S!!!!!!!!

It was there for ages, then it closed down and then somebody removed the apostrophe!

Now the shop unit is used by Pot's and Pan's!

twoluvlysnowmen · 14/12/2008 08:26

branflake - trouble is with spellcheckers, is they're not people, but machines. They're not programmed to check grammar or punctuation.

I think you should get a prize - will you have to go incognito next time you want to use the leisure centre??

reindeersnake · 14/12/2008 08:37

We spend a lot of time at school trying to teach children how (not) to use apostrophe's. Gues's you can see it does'nt work. They either think it i's part of the letter 's' or that it is a decorative element you sprinkle over a sentence.

I think probably in a hundred years or so it will have evolved just into part of the letter 's'.

(Off to write out 100 times 'I must not misuse apostrophes, even to make a point.)

MistleSQUONKandWine · 14/12/2008 08:44

"t is a decorative element you sprinkle over a sentence."

aww, you almost make me wa'nt to st'art ins'erting rando'm apost'rophese just t'o see the'ir sprinklin'g deco'rativeness

hecAteAMillionMincePies · 14/12/2008 08:46

Didn't you try to explain what you were doing?

"I wasn't defacing it, look, look, there's an apostrophe there and it's gramatically incorrect..."

shootRudolphinthehip · 14/12/2008 08:52

I love the idea of you being a vandal because you were fixing an apostrophe. Great lol

roundcornvirgin · 14/12/2008 08:57

branflake that's brilliant!

UnquietDad · 14/12/2008 13:53

The Lynne Truss militant wing!

pookamoo · 14/12/2008 14:16

Here's one you will love...
On a Thank you card on the notice board in the Maternity Unit where I just had my daughter -

"with love from x, y and baby Jame's"

ARGH!
The child doesn't stand a chance!

TheButterflyEffect · 14/12/2008 20:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

StealthPolarBear · 14/12/2008 20:38

twoluvlysnowmen - do they not have proofreaders?? Who get paid (pay'ed?) lots of money to make sure that doesn't happen?
I can't get too upset by stray apostrophes and errors on MN but in professional works it really bothers me, and especially on signs or anything that has been created for the long term!

reindeercantdancethetango · 14/12/2008 20:40
Grin
Poledra · 14/12/2008 20:43

I posted once before about a new hairdresser's near me which was called 'Look's Good'. AND they had it stencilled on each and every one of their windows. Shortly after this, someone removed the offending apostrophes , so there is now only an odd gap between the k and s.

I am slightly disappointed as a very assertive friend of mine was threatening to go into the shop and ask who Look was, and what did he have that was good? I'd have liked to have seen that.

Poledra · 14/12/2008 20:45

Now I am looking at my message and wondering at the apostrophe in 'hairdresser's'. Is it actually correct as it is an abbreviation for 'hairdresser's shop' or have I made myself look incredibly stoopid ?

thisisyesterday · 14/12/2008 20:45

lol, I have an appt with Dr Evan's

what it is of Dr Evan's that I have the appt with I am not sure

StealthPolarBear · 14/12/2008 20:48

I'd say that's right Poledra, assuming it's owned by one hairdresser - any more and it would be hairdressers'
(I think)

FrostyTheSnowMin · 14/12/2008 20:58

No, we should definitely fight back!! Have only actually taken my pen out when drunk though (on a sign that said photo's).

Yesterday I was in a shop that is part an art-shop, part print shop. Behind the till was a massive poster advertising all the things they can do for you, including t-shirt's. I (helpfully I thought) told the guy there's no apostrophe in tshirts. He looked blank. I said 'It's Oxford, someone will notice!' and he said 'No one else has ever mentioned it. You're the first.'

Why is it I'm the one who ends up feeling like an idiot??!

StealthPolarBear · 14/12/2008 21:00

ooh I brought up photo's once and it sparked a debate
Apparently the ' can replace 'graph'
Like 'bus
and 'phone

LazyLinePainterJane · 14/12/2008 21:00

Our old CO-OP supermarket had a bay for "TROLLEY'S"

TheButterflyEffect · 14/12/2008 21:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

elkiedee · 14/12/2008 21:14

Our local school is advertising a drop in group for under 5s, one I might take dcs to (19 months and on his way) but I wish they'd spelt it right - "for parents and carers" (that bit's fine) - but then - "dad's welcome"

thisisyesterday · 14/12/2008 21:22

can someone tell me though, dvd's?
dvds just seems wrong. should it be capitals? DVDs? DVD's?
ditto CD's

themoon66 · 14/12/2008 21:23

I got told off for 'adjusting' a poster in the changing room of LA fitness gym.

'spinning - new coarses starting January'

thisisyesterday · 14/12/2008 21:23

becasue you aren't shortening it, or replacing anything, but it still seems wrong without an apostrophe.
sure I read somewhere, (lynne truss?) that they have the apostrophe, but can't be arsed to dig the book out

glamourbadger · 14/12/2008 21:37

The lack of apostrophe is just as shabby. I once refused to let my children enter a funfair as the large, professionally printed sign at the entrance said:

"smile your on camera"

elkiedee - perhaps there was only one Dad welcome?