A Good Laugh or a Crying Shame?

[gurnemanz]

It is not always clear cut, as with Students' Union versus Students Union. Both are come across and a good case can be made for either. It could be seen as a kind of compound noun written in two words not implying ownership, like Battersea Dogs Home, which wouldn't usually attract an apostrophe, since the dogs don't own it, or maybe you might want to imply that the students do own their union and include the apostrophe. By comparison in cases like: "The students' essays were all rubbish", there is clearly no option to omit the apostrophe.

[Pabmusic]

This could, in a sense, be correct -

From Wikipedia "The English name is derived from Old English Tiwesdæg and Middle English Tewesday. This was a loan translation of Latin dies Martis, originally associating the day with the planet Mars. The Germanic name translates Mars, the god of war, as Teiwaz (Old English Tiw)."

so Tuesday is actually the day of Mars - Teiwaz's day.

No, it's the day of Tiw; Wikipedia is misleading (not uncommon, of course). Wikipedia also says, "The name Tuesday derives from the Old English "Tiwesdæg" and literally means "Tiw's Day". Tiw is the Old English form of the Proto-Germanic god Tîwaz, or Týr in Norse, a god of war and law." Which is right; so Tueday is Tiw's Day, though Tiw or Týr (Tiwaz is actually a reconstructed name*) was more the god of victory than war. It is in Latin countries that the day is named directly from Mars (miércoles, mardi, martedi) whereas Germanic lands use Tiw/Tyr (Diensdag, Dinsdag, Tirsdag, Tuesday). Clearly, Tiw and Mars are related because they're both war gods, but from different pagan traditions. (Though it's quite likely that both derive from the same, even more ancient, tradition.)

Also, quite relevant to this post is the Anglo-Saxon spelling Tiwesdæg because it contains the genitive case of Tiw, 'Tiwes' (=belonging to Tiw). An apostrophe generally denotes a missing letter, most commonly the 'e' from the genitive case ending. So Tiwesdæg could be rendered Tiw'sdæg (but would not have been in Anglo-Saxon times, of course).

*The supposed Germanic version of the Latin 'deus', 'Greek 'Zeus', and sanskrit 'deva'.

[vinteuil]

I quite like the sign on a bus stop near me, named for the local church - St Barnaba's...

[Pabmusic]

Older members (how I shudder to write that) will remember halfpennyworth, pronounced haypeth and usually written ha'peth or even ha'p'th. Two apostrophes in one word! I've read serious discussions about whether sha'n't isn't to be preferred over shan't. It can get confusing; no wonder people make mistakes.

[vinteuil]

Older members (how I shudder to write that) will remember halfpennyworth, pronounced haypeth and usually written ha'peth or even ha'p'th. Two apostrophes in one word! I've read serious discussions about whether sha'n't isn't to be preferred over shan't. It can get confusing; no wonder people make mistakes.

... I'll see your two apostrophes and raise the three apostrophes in fo'c's'le ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forecastle

I like sha'n't etc - I think Henry James uses it.

[mangerton]

How is the use of apostrophes taught nowadays?

Minimally, if at all. We mustn't confuse the poor dears.

[Norfolk Born]

Back in the 1970s (or should that be the 1970's?) the company for which I then worked cancelled the Annual Dinner 'due to the miner's actions'...he must have been shifting a lot of coal.

[scottycelt]

Minimally, if at all. We mustn't confuse the poor dears.

I too hate to be pedantic but shouldn't that be "dear's", mangerton ... ?

[mangerton]

... I'll see your two apostrophes and raise the three apostrophes in fo'c's'le ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forecastle

I like sha'n't etc - I think Henry James uses it.

I came across sha'n't in children's book many years ago. I can't remember which, but it may have been Blyton. [blush]

[mangerton]

I too hate to be pedantic but shouldn't that be "dear's", mangerton ... ?

In this instance, only if they're the children of greengrocer's.

I know greengrocers have this reputation, but other trades can be similarly affected. A tv/music shop in Greenock many years ago had a van emblazoned with "television's, radio's, record player's".

[vinteuil]

I can't remember which ...

You mean you ca'n't remember?

[mangerton]

You mean you ca'n't remember?

[Pabmusic]

It seems that Americans are just as prone to apostrophe abuse: http://www.apostropheabuse.com/

Me, I went to infants, junior and grammar schools that all had apostrophes in their names - so you couldn't escape being aware of their use.

[Stillhomewardbound]

As I've peeved in this parts previously, I lament the now universal disregard for the plural 'were'.

Here's the Assistant Chief Constable for Avon & Somerset at the weekend:

"So we know there was brakes and then there was the impacts."


That'll be as in ...

Was you there when they crucified my Lord.

Was you truly wafted from paradise.

Was you ever a member of the communist party ... answer the question!

... no doubt.

[scottycelt]

In this instance, only if they're the children of greengrocer's.

I know greengrocers have this reputation, but other trades can be similarly affected. A tv/music shop in Greenock many years ago had a van emblazoned with "television's, radio's, record player's".

The vehicle was probably simply under media co-ownership, mangerton. Greenock was then apparently in the vanguard of a new and exciting corporate and technological revolution, but, sadly, it ...