Have you seen the new Lynne Truss book?

[roisin]

It's great. I love it. I might let the kids have a quick look at it, before I cut it up and mount them for displays at school.

here it is

However, I have a grammar query on it! The phrases (with accompanying cartoons) are things like:
a) Slow, children crossing.
b) Slow children crossing.

BUT there is one:
a) No cats, thank you.
b) No cats thank you.

I think b) should read:
No cats' thank you.

Does anyone agree? Should I write to Lynne Truss?

I think it is correct without the apostrophe Roisin. Why do you think it should have one? (Bit worried that my pedant's brain is failing here!)

I think Lynn is correct too I am afraid, because the cats are not saying thank you...? It is just a normal plural.

But I have been known to be wrong before...

Unless the thank you belongs to the cats I would have to go with Lynne too, sorry

If you are saying that you do not want a "thank you" from the cats, then No cats' thank you would be correct. Otherwise, no.

Actually, even then yours wouldn't be quite correct because you'd need to pluralise thank you, I think.

Unless it's an apostrophe which has been put there to indicate the missing word "poo"

Yes, that is what b) is implying. It is the thank you of the cats. You have to see the cartoon. The explanation at the back of the book is:

a) No cats, thank you. - The comma separates the courtesy phrase thank you from the request No cats.
b) No cats thank you. - Without the comma, No cats thank you is a statement about the gratitude of cats.

.. If it's about the gratitude of cats, then there should be a possessive apostrophe to signify the of bit. No?

"No cats thank you" is like "no boys thank you" - I mean thank is a verb, not a noun? So no apostrophe needed?

"You are not thanked by any cats"

Not "Cats have no thankyous"

(Doesn't "thank" look silly when you stare at it!)

Oh! I get it now
Thank you Ursula.

English grammar is a minefield!

(I liked tamum's poo comment )

How are you, chuck?

It's a fab book btw - even if you're a bit slow like me on a Friday night!
Wonderful cartoons to show, for example:
a) Look at that huge hot dog!
b) Look at that huge, hot dog!

I'm doing OK - thanks for asking. We're off over to mum's tomorrow to stay for a few days. Funeral on Monday.

Oh

Hope your mum is bearing up and that the funeral helps. I bet you are thinking about your big boy this week.

Thanks