Do you see the punctuation error in this sentence? (And yes, the word punctuation is a hint.) “This historical fiction series accurately depicts the time of London during the 1920’s and 1930’s.” Those apostrophes don’t belong. It’s not the 1920’s and 1930’s. It’s the 1920s and 1930s. We don’t use apostrophes to make words plural, as I’ve said elsewhere. But I’ll say it again: Don’t use apostrophes to make words plural. Don’t use apostrophes to make words plural. Don’t use apostrophes to make words plural. No, this...
Last week we went to Hamburg, New York for the Thanksgiving holidays. (It’s my husband’s hometown.) And it seems I can’t escape the absurd use of apostrophes even when on vacation because I had to stare at this sign while trying to enjoy my beer: We were at a cute neighborhood pub and I was drinking a tasty local brew called Frosty the IPA and eating Buffalo wings, of course, yet still. That sign annoyed me the whole time. Why do so many people get it wrong? Sadly, it seems the incorrect use of the apostrophe is the new normal. In...
I spent this past weekend with women I’ve been friends with for 40 years. It was long overdue and delightful, and I laughed until my stomach hurt. But my eyes also hurt because while driving through the countryside to get to the beachfront rental, I’d repeatedly see people’s last names on signs in front of their properties with an incorrect apostrophe. You’ve seen these signs, I’m sure. They are usually carved or painted wood, with a small “The” in the upper left corner above the family...
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