Appropriately Used Apostrophes

does the location of an apostrophe really bother some people that much??

Sorry, I hate to be a bug, but there is a separate page for commas. We are talking 'bout apostrophe's in this particular thread. Like I've never strayed before :)

That is a great book!! It gives great examples of just how useful our little friend the comma really is...

Next question - what about titles?

I mean why Prof. instead of Prof' and Dr. instead of D'r? That sort of thing.

Because a full stop (or period, if you're transatlantically inclined) at the end of an abbreviated word indicates that it has been abbreviated or cut short of quite a few letters; the apostrophe is to indicate the absence of one (or maybe two).

Hence Prof. , Dr. , Mr. ... I can remember an ex-colleague who religiously wrote exam. in all his school reports, considering it an abbreviation of the 'proper' word, examination.

Hence also callin' , talkin', etc: these are words only missing the final 'ng' sound, as in most UK English colloquial pronunciation and so you write an apostrophe to show this.

However, if you miss (a) syllable(s) off the beginning of a word, you show this with an apostrophe, not a full stop; 'phone (telephone), 'copter (helicopter), etc. I think if you check out the epic novel Dune you will find that the ornithopters used there for transport are often called 'thopters.

Final point: at some point an abbreviation takes on a life of its own and enters the dictionary. Or not.

My favourite is copter, because the Greek words that it comes from are helix, helikos 'screw' and pter 'wing''. The consonant cluster 'pt' never starts an English word (don't give me a hard time about pterodactyl, etc - no-one ever pronounces the 'p' unless they're flaunting their knowledge), so the 'k' sound magically fuses itself on the second element of the word.

Clear?

Thanks Finrod – very informative! I probably should've paid attention during English class, but, frankly, what was going on outside the window was invariably always more interesting… oooh, look – cows!

Yes, octopus… I've met quite a few like you, over the years… if it were down to me I'd ban windows in classrooms. Ones with transparent glass, anyway!

You can't mean that Finrod? In your world Ralphie's teacher in the Christmas Story would never have been able to look out the window and and save the kid who got his toungue stuck to the pole. No Finrod, I must vote an emphatic no to your idea. A very emphatic no, sir!

?

What on Earth are you on about, gbman? Go back and get your medication reviewed!

Since I've elected the best thing about Christmas to be Boxing Day, you may guess my reaction to that suggestion.

Now please excuse me, I've been typing in Mathematics for hours and I need a short break. Probably between the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae.

Just spotted outside an open-all-hours shop:

SIM

CARD's  £5 

It's a hopeless cause...

A HA HA HA HA HA HA!!

 clever, finrod.  I just got that.  "a short break between the first and second cervical vertebrae"!

*chuckle*

Breaking news!

Here's another little gem that I've just spotted in the window of a disused shop that has moved (you can tell where from its content):

"All enquirie's across the road."

It was just a bit further up the road from the SIM CARD's I mentioned last time.

Glad you liked it, Kittilyn!

“Enquirie” isn’t even a word!

(And though this has nothing to do with apostrophes, I was wondering, is the National Enquirer a British publication? If not, I can’t help but find that a little odd when the standard American spelling is “inquire,”...and NO, I do not read the National Enquirer. =P)

iyp, I wouldn't be surprised if someone spelt 'donkeys' as 'donkie's'.

I think we do have (a local version of) the Enquirer; as far as I know (I'll check!) enquire and inquire are variations on the same word.

 I don't read it either!

Rattling around the London Underground the other day I passed Earl's Court and then, immediately afterwards, Barons Court. No apostrophe? What's going on there, then?

Some people don't think Earl's Court should have one (apparantely it's a recent addition) and some think it should go after the s...

It's a vexed question wherever you go, purp. Not too far from me is the seaside town known as St Annes. Naturally, one of the roads approaching it is St. Anne's Road.

Then there's Queen's College and Queens' College... 

*Sigh*

Luckily, that's not an example of inappropriate apostrophe usage, only the inappropriate exclusion of an apostrophe.

You do enjoy correcting and contradicting other people's opinions, don't you HM? 

I think the apostrophe is incorrectly placed in my above sentence.

Ah.  I suppose.

Although I do think that HM was referring to your "Queens College" comment.

"Queens College?"

I didn't make any reference to "Queens College." I referred to Queen's College (Oxford University, named after Queen Philippa, wife of Edward III) and Queens' College (Cambridge University, named after Queens Margaret (wife of Henry VI) and Elizabeth (wife of Henry IV).

Took me a while to spot that!

WOW!  Even I didn't spot that.

And I wrote the comment.  :O

In Germany you can see very very often the same mistakes with apostrophes as you have. It's horrible, everywhere you can buy DVD's and CD's but nowhere these rare DVDs and CDs =/

Yes! I have found an unlikely ally in my mission to eradicate the apostrophe - Jeremy Paxman. Good man. Newsnight last night had a small section at the end about getting rid of the things.

Examples given:

For: Dot the i's & cross the t's - needed in plurals to stop confusion.

Against: The Parents Association - where does it go?!

One person on the BBC forum wrote the following: