THE MANY USE'S OF THE APOSTROPHE

It is time once again for "Ask Mister Language Person," the only grammar column to have won both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Indianapolis 500.

(Also, this.)

Comments

[KJP]

Was that the first time Judi got fired?

[NotSoShyJan]

Ahhhh! I wasn't going to click, but I said, "judi wouldn't do that....."

[Allen at Division]

An excellent and amusing summary of the apostrophe.

[Allen at Division]

*sigh* The site has broken its own link. It is
angryflower.com/aposter...

[Guin]

Curse you, SB!

[Betsy]

What is the mysterious inscription scrawled across the crotchal area of He Who Must Not Be Named?

[Horace LaBadie]

There are hundreds of people on both sides of the hunting issue? I didn't realize that there were that many schizophrenic hunters/PETA members.

[Betsy]

slightly O/T -- I was doing the double-crostic in yesterday's Chicago Trib (or possibly Sun-Times); and noticed that the author's name was appearing as D_V_ _A_RY. Needless to say, I solved it WAY faster than usual (although I was disappointed not to find "booger" included in the text.) End O/T

[nursecindy]

Judi! How could you? Or did Dave sneak that in?

[Siouxie]

I owe judi a SMACK for that one.

Hmmm...when are we going drinking again???

[Cheesewiz]

Siouxie:

Excellent example of question mark usage.

[judi the barberho]

well, siouxie, i went drinking for most of august, so i've gotta cut back some... that said, i can usually be convinced to take saturday night off from the straight and narrow.

[Steve]

I hate to point out grammatical-type errors but:
"Q. How many letters will you get from people who are upset because you used apostrophes incorrectly in this column?
A. Hundreds."
The correct answer is, of course, "Hundred's".

[Coconuts]

Um, at the risk of sounding like an idiot (not that I'd really mind), what's a barberho? Is that when you have your (not you're) hair cut by two barbers?

[queensbee]

that was cold.
a bibliographic note: a book by Lynn Truss called Eats, Shoots and Leaves. one of the most hilarious grammar books.

[nursecindy]

I try not to use ''s.

[Siouxie]

Coconuts, the s.b. has an almost stalker-like addiction to really enjoys barbershop quartets. The Blog thinks it's a cult. It's pretty harmless, usually. There is NOTHING wrong with appreciating young, handsome, talented guys who can...um...what is it that they do again judi?

[nursecindy]

They harmonize, Siouxie. Usually they have great rhythm too. Or so I've heard.

[O the U(manity)]

How's their tempo?

[Coconuts]

Blogals, always to the rescue!

Thanks

[Shark Tooth John]

Punctuate the following:

"A woman without her man is nothing."

Male response:
"A woman, without her man, is nothing."

Female response:
"A woman: without her, man is nothing."

Go figure! 20 more days! Arrrr.

[Coconuts]

How true, shark tooth, how true...