Catastrophe for the Apostrophe

Subject: Catastrophe for the Apostrophe Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:28 pm

Oh, no! Not the apostrophe... I would rather see the end of the extra letters in "programme", etc.

APOSTROPHE CATASTROPHE

Quote :: It seems that Birmingham officials have been taking a hammer to
grammar for years, quietly dropping apostrophes from street signs since
the 1950s. Through the decades, residents have frequently launched
spirited campaigns to restore the missing punctuation to signs denoting
such places as "St. Pauls Square" or "Acocks Green."

This week, the council made it official, saying it was banning the
punctuation mark from signs in a bid to end the dispute once and for
all.

Subject: Re: Catastrophe for the Apostrophe Fri Jan 30, 2009 2:52 pm

Weird.

The San Diego Trolley, whose passengers are about 90% Spanish speakers, I'd guess, in order to let them know where the downtown stop is, but not have to list DOWNTOWN/CENTRO did a cool thing: the cars say CENTRE CITY

Subject: Re: Catastrophe for the Apostrophe Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:01 pm

There is a whole section on the apostrophe in the book Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. I refer to it a lot. I can't seem to keep the info in my head. *grin*

Does this mean that they are going to eradicate the apostrophe all together? Should authors rise up and shout, "NO"?

Subject: Re: Catastrophe for the Apostrophe Sat Jan 31, 2009 5:59 pm

Not only the apostrophe, but the comma as well.

My agent told me to get rid of a lot of the commas I'd used in my manuscript. Said that while they're technically correct, they slow the pacing. So I guess in today's market, it's better to have run-on sentences than slow pacing.

Subject: Re: Catastrophe for the Apostrophe Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:56 pm

Commas are pretty much no-man's land technically. Get five editors and they'll have five opinions on the commas in any given piece.

Apostrophes are pretty definite, though. Except in Birmingham, apparently.

Subject: Re: Catastrophe for the Apostrophe Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:37 pm

What I have been doing is reading, or saying, the dialog out loud as though I were actually speaking it. If I hesitate or have pauses I use the appropriate punctuation there. If I don't, I don't use punctuation. Did that make sense?

I have to hear it AND feel it. Then it ends up sounding better to others too. It is those dang italics and apostrophes that throw me every time.

Subject: Re: Catastrophe for the Apostrophe Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:18 am

I'm with you, Sue. I think commas are a necessary evil.

Subject: Re: Catastrophe for the Apostrophe Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:36 am

It all comes down to what you mean to say. Leaving out a comma can change things considerably. Right, Alice?

Here's one for football fans:

It's fourth down so we'll have to kick John.

or

I shouldn't tease Alice who is a dear friend. (Is it OK to tease other people named Alice?)

Subject: Re: Catastrophe for the Apostrophe Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:47 am

Very good examples, Ann. It sure can alter the meaning one takes from reading a sentence.

» Predictions, Catastrophe and thought expressions