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Pedants' corner
Original poster

Stop me from doing something unbelievably rude!

73 replies

slayerette · 25/02/2009 09:22

The person who writes the letters at my DS's Beaver Scout group has no idea how to use apostrophes. Basically, if the word ends in an s, she puts an apostrophe before it. It's driving me mad; I've just filled out the form to return his subs for this half-term and I had to sit on my hands to stop myself getting out my red pen and correcting the following:

I enclose £21 for 7 weeks of Beaver's up to Easter.

At least there wasn't one in 'weeks', I suppose. But am I the only one who can't understand why apostrophes seem so difficult to use correctly for some?

OP posts:
BecauseImWorthIt · 27/02/2009 09:58

First to receive an ASBO for aggresssive pedantry, Quattro?!

HensMum · 27/02/2009 12:30

Quattro, can you go to Boots and get them to sort out their "confectionary" sign please?

tearinghairout · 27/02/2009 12:46

Every time I go past the hairdresser's called Hair Gem's I have to firmly tell myself that the owner must be called Gemma. (Gem for short.) The apostrophe is in the shape of a jewel. AARGH!!

MinnieMummy · 27/02/2009 14:53

Ha ha at Quattro! Tesco's are guilty of the DVD's/CD's issue, can you go and sort them out next?

Just got DS's newsletter from his pre-school. I quote:

'From now on for the under 3's we will be writing a small note in there books about there day.'

They then go on to say that the committee posts are up for grabs. There is one for 'Newsletter Co-ordinator' (I'd write 'coordinator' personally, but I can let that slide). I don't think I want the whole post but I think I am generously going to offer my proofing services for free... have tried this with my work several times on the Annual Report. They never give it to me (or evidently anyone else) and then it goes out with mistakes in.... aaargghhh

purepurple · 28/02/2009 09:46

There are plans to do away with apostrophes as nobody knows how to use them.

Poledra · 28/02/2009 10:12

I went to DD1's Parent Teacher Consultation recently - she's in Reception, so it was my first one. Upon leaving, I felt obliged to point out to the (lovely)teacher that she had misused an apostrophe when writing out the class rules (Be Kind to Other's). She was very apologetic, and admitted she struggled with apostrophes.

When we were well away, DH said 'You just couldn't help yourself, could you?' (Note: he is prefectly capable of using the apotrophe properly himself).

Bumperslucious · 28/02/2009 10:24

LOL poledra, if she were reading your post she might point you in the direction of Muphry's Law for 'prefectly' capable!

Poledra · 28/02/2009 14:23

Oh sod!

Poledra · 28/02/2009 14:24

And what the hell's an 'apotrophe' anyway?

MinnieMummy · 28/02/2009 15:34

It's an apostrophe that's worried about someone putting a random 's' in it (apos'trophe) so has removed its own 's' to get around this issue...

Loving the concept of Muphry's Law. I try and be doubly-careful when posting on Pedant's corner!

NotQuiteCockney · 28/02/2009 15:58

Loving Muphry's Law.

When DS1 was first at school, I did give up. I was given a school letter that was something like four paragraphs long and had six errors. This wasn't a personal letter to me, this was to the whole school. I gave it back, marked up.

I don't like apostrophes on abbreviated words, but I'm sure they were briefly standard usage on plurals like "80's". A quick Google shows some sites still defend it.

fourkids · 28/02/2009 16:25

purepurple, I have seen this debate...but it just isn't true that "nobody knows how to use them."

Plenty of us do know how to use them...and those that don't should learn!

I passed a horse trailer last week with huge writing on the back and sides announcing that it carried a particular stud's "pony's" I wanted to flag them down and tell them

tearinghairout · 28/02/2009 20:14

Ponies etc. is a basic plural - drop the 'y' and add 'ies' - that should be taught in school. It seems as though fewer and fewer people (that's less and less to non-pedants ) are able do do even this simple thing correctly. Must be the teaching, or lack of, then?

tearinghairout · 28/02/2009 20:16

do do? That's right! It's all a load of pony's do do!

purepurple · 01/03/2009 07:54

fourkids
obviously, I meant that nobody else knows how to use them

personally, I think children should be forced to stay at school until they have mastered the basics of the English language

campion · 02/03/2009 01:41

Do you know, purepurple, some children who haven't mastered the basics of English are still at school in adulthood.
They're called teachers!

purepurple · 02/03/2009 06:55

lol @campion

HensMum · 02/03/2009 10:23

There was a new display at nusery this morning of "butterfly's" that the children had made. It looks so wrong! Why can't they see that?

tearinghairout · 03/03/2009 17:40

Maybe they don't know what it's supposed to look like, in other words they're not familiar with it, which goes back to not reading enough. Some people seem to watch drivel on TV all the time. It's not going to help their reading/spelling is it?

purepurple · 03/03/2009 18:52

they probably don't have punctuation in Hello/ Heat magazine

SouthernMeerkat · 03/03/2009 19:22

Worse case scenario, or worst case scenario?

My boss 'corrected' my version and I just want to check that I'm not mad!

SouthernMeerkat · 03/03/2009 19:22

Sorry, completely put this in the wrong place!!

tearinghairout · 04/03/2009 22:00

I would say 'worst case scenario' is correct.

No doubt when people say it, though, they say 'worse' without thinking about it, because it's easier. But I think it should be 'worst'.

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