I felt for Stefan Gatward of Tunbridge Wells this week.
Every time I pass a shop selling “potatoe's” or “CD's”, or I see the Middlesex 7s latest poster promoting “Rugby at it's best”, I am inclined to liberally apply correction fluid in the name of apostrophical correctness.
And I am tempted to notify the owner of a nearby café of the correct spelling of “coffe”, which is advertised in foot-high letters on a sandwich board outside. Call me pernickety, but surely your core product deserves greater attention. Sometimes, a three-word sign requires more thorough proofing than a 1,000-word feature.
Having moved to St Johns Close last year, Mr Gatward’s typographical frustration boiled over and he has taken a marker pen to all his street’s signs so that they read St John's Close. “Language is worth standing up for!” he exclaimed.
Unhelpfully, especially to Mr Gatward’s crusade, The Plain English Society has declared that there is no rule about apostrophes appearing in place names in Britain.
In fact, Britain is slow in making a firm decision either way on the matter. The US Board of Geographic Names dropped the apostrophe way back in the 19th century – there have only been a handful of exceptions since, such as Martha’s Vineyard – and Australia de-possessed in 2001 to be consistent with the emergency services’ database. Not much point in calling the fire brigade if they can’t locate you, I guess.
The Apostrophe Protection Society – yes, there really is one; you can even join an APS online forum and start a new thread about apostrophes – describes that gentle curve of punctuation as “a threatened species”.
Too right! Dubious cartography is erasing our history. Earlier this year, Birmingham City Council decided its street signs should no longer have possessive apostrophes, because the likes of Kings Heath and Acocks Green were no longer owned by the monarchy or the Acock family.
So the next generation will be completely clueless about who lived where. There are enough questions as it is. How many shepherds owned the bush? How many bricklayers’ arms? One Pratt’s bottom or two?
Answers on a postcard. Please make sure it is correctly addressed.
20 August 2009
Is there still a place in the English language for apostrophes?
I felt for Stefan Gatward of Tunbridge Wells this week.
Every time I pass a shop selling “potatoe's” or “CD's”, or I see the Middlesex 7s latest poster promoting “Rugby at it's best”, I am inclined to liberally apply correction fluid in the name of apostrophical correctness.
And I am tempted to notify the owner of a nearby café of the correct spelling of “coffe”, which is advertised in foot-high letters on a sandwich board outside. Call me pernickety, but surely your core product deserves greater attention. Sometimes, a three-word sign requires more thorough proofing than a 1,000-word feature.
Having moved to St Johns Close last year, Mr Gatward’s typographical frustration boiled over and he has taken a marker pen to all his street’s signs so that they read St John's Close. “Language is worth standing up for!” he exclaimed.
Unhelpfully, especially to Mr Gatward’s crusade, The Plain English Society has declared that there is no rule about apostrophes appearing in place names in Britain.
In fact, Britain is slow in making a firm decision either way on the matter. The US Board of Geographic Names dropped the apostrophe way back in the 19th century – there have only been a handful of exceptions since, such as Martha’s Vineyard – and Australia de-possessed in 2001 to be consistent with the emergency services’ database. Not much point in calling the fire brigade if they can’t locate you, I guess.
The Apostrophe Protection Society – yes, there really is one; you can even join an APS online forum and start a new thread about apostrophes – describes that gentle curve of punctuation as “a threatened species”.
Too right! Dubious cartography is erasing our history. Earlier this year, Birmingham City Council decided its street signs should no longer have possessive apostrophes, because the likes of Kings Heath and Acocks Green were no longer owned by the monarchy or the Acock family.
So the next generation will be completely clueless about who lived where. There are enough questions as it is. How many shepherds owned the bush? How many bricklayers’ arms? One Pratt’s bottom or two?
Answers on a postcard. Please make sure it is correctly addressed.
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