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#Post#: 16980--------------------------------------------------
On the Overuse of Apostrophe's
By: Nikola Date: June 19, 2019, 9:32 am
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If you spotted a mistake in the title, chances are you're one of
the people who experience this once in a while:
[img width=300
height=205]
HTML https://i.pinimg.com/originals/83/68/0f/83680fdc15125c9ccbd7ccfde41cfbab.jpg[/img]
The compulsive need to stick an apostrophe where there's an "s"
without putting too much thought into it has always fascinated
me. I've seen native speakers do this, even teachers. I've seen
labels on drawers saying "pen's" and "scissor's". Someone had
typed those words and printed out the labels, someone else had
laminated them and someone else had cut them out and stuck them
on the drawers... and not one of them thought "hang on a
minute".
Where do you stand? Does this bother you at all?
#Post#: 16981--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Overuse of Apostrophe's
By: Truman Overby Date: June 19, 2019, 10:45 am
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This is very common in the states. You'll see mailboxes, for
instance, that say "The Smith's." I notice it but then move on
with my life. What bugs me more is people dropping ending Gs.
I've heard there are support groups.
#Post#: 16982--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Overuse of Apostrophe's
By: Aliph Date: June 19, 2019, 12:15 pm
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[quote author=The Artist formerly known as Truman Overby
link=topic=1166.msg16981#msg16981 date=1560959100]
This is very common in the states. You'll see mailboxes, for
instance, that say "The Smith's." I notice it but then move on
with my life. What bugs me more is people dropping ending Gs.
I've heard there are support groups.
[/quote]
That drives me crazy! I could understand that foreigners who
just arrived in the country make this kind of mistakes but not
the Smiths!
@Truman, I don’t understand what you mean by „people dropping
ending Gs“
#Post#: 16986--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Overuse of Apostrophe's
By: Truman Overby Date: June 19, 2019, 1:43 pm
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[quote author=Sofia link=topic=1166.msg16982#msg16982
date=1560964550]
@Truman, I don’t understand what you mean by „people dropping
ending Gs“
[/quote]
Runnin' Jumpin' Talkin' Laughin'...
#Post#: 16987--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Overuse of Apostrophe's
By: Nikola Date: June 19, 2019, 2:53 pm
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[quote author=The Artist formerly known as Truman Overby
link=topic=1166.msg16986#msg16986 date=1560969793]
Runnin' Jumpin' Talkin' Laughin'...
[/quote]
That's not really a new thing, though. These Boots Are Made for
Walkin'...
[quote author=Sofia link=topic=1166.msg16982#msg16982
date=1560964550]
[quote author=The Artist formerly known as Truman Overby
link=topic=1166.msg16981#msg16981 date=1560959100]
This is very common in the states. You'll see mailboxes, for
instance, that say "The Smith's." I notice it but then move on
with my life. What bugs me more is people dropping ending Gs.
I've heard there are support groups.
[/quote]
That drives me crazy! I could understand that foreigners who
just arrived in the country make this kind of mistakes but not
the Smiths!
@Truman, I don’t understand what you mean by „people dropping
ending Gs“
[/quote]
I agree that the Smiths should know better. Perhaps it's a
difficult decision for them. They can either write it
incorrectly or have the apostrophe enthusiasts ask "Shouldn't
there be an apostrophe there? It looks wrong." For all we know,
the Smiths might be stuck between the hammer and the anvil.
#Post#: 16988--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Overuse of Apostrophe's
By: Aliph Date: June 19, 2019, 2:55 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=The Artist formerly known as Truman Overby
link=topic=1166.msg16986#msg16986 date=1560969793]
[quote author=Sofia link=topic=1166.msg16982#msg16982
date=1560964550]
@Truman, I don’t understand what you mean by „people dropping
ending Gs“
[/quote]
Runnin' Jumpin' Talkin' Laughin'...
[/quote]
i´m gonna thankin u Mister Truman and all the Overby´s
#Post#: 16989--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Overuse of Apostrophe's
By: Aliph Date: June 19, 2019, 2:59 pm
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[quote author=Nikola link=topic=1166.msg16987#msg16987
date=1560974012]
I agree that the Smiths should know better. Perhaps it's a
difficult decision for them. They can either write it
incorrectly or have the apostrophe enthusiasts ask "Shouldn't
there be an apostrophe there? It looks wrong." For all we know,
the Smiths might be stuck between the hammer and the anvil.
[/quote]
They surely have to choose between Scylla and Charybdis. Poor
things.
#Post#: 16990--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Overuse of Apostrophe's
By: Aliph Date: June 19, 2019, 3:06 pm
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I found a better idiom: „They Jump out of the frying pan into
the fire". It translates the Italian “dalla padella alla brace”
almost literally.
#Post#: 16995--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Overuse of Apostrophe's
By: Truman Overby Date: June 19, 2019, 5:06 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Nikola link=topic=1166.msg16987#msg16987
date=1560974012]
[quote author=The Artist formerly known as Truman Overby
link=topic=1166.msg16986#msg16986 date=1560969793]
Runnin' Jumpin' Talkin' Laughin'...
[/quote]
That's not really a new thing, though. These Boots Are Made for
Walkin'...
[/quote]
What I mean are the people who do it in everyday speech, not
artistic license. Lots of Americans do it and there's a
particular British dialect/accent that does it. I heard it all
over italki from teachers from certain parts of England.
#Post#: 16996--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Overuse of Apostrophe's
By: Alharacas Date: June 19, 2019, 5:35 pm
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We've got the same thing in German: bars offering cocktail's,
Spielzeug (toys) für Baby's, Mimi's Blumenladen and Hansi's
Restaurant - you name it, it's been misspelt. (No saxon genitive
in German, you just add an "s", without the apostrophe.) It's
called Deppenapostroph (idiot's apostrophe) and it drives me
wild. Not because I'm such a [insert epithet of choice] about
grammar/punctuation, but because I'm highly susceptible to all
kinds of external influence.
Talk to me in any kind of dialect for a while and listen to me
gradually adopt your manner of speaking.
Likewise, I never had to work very hard at spelling, because
words I'd written just needed to look "right", i.e. the way I'd
seen them in print before.
Meaning these days I have to think harder and harder when I look
at a genitive and it's, its, it's, its! its! its! spelling...
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