Originally posted by vinteuil
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The matter was discussed here:
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The answer is not as uncontroversial as might be supposed.
The matter was discussed here:
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... is this again a regional thing? Mme v and I were wandering about London this morning - and we noticed that the Waterstone's in the King's Road [London SW3] and in Kensington High Street [W8] had both retained their apostrophes on their street fascias. The King's Road one looked not very new, but the High Street Ken one was clearly recent...Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View PostComment
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Having now checked a map, I have to admit that your message was the first time I've noted that King's Road has an apostrophe, vints. And I was literally raised within 200 metres of it!Originally posted by vinteuil View Post
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It was apparently dropped in 2012.Originally posted by vinteuil View Post
What slightly - well, thoroughly - baffles me is that this is considered to be a matter of grammar/punctuation: as if the final 's' MUST be a possessive 's' and CANNOT be simply a plural 's'. We seem to be in the realm of vegetable's here where we must add apostrophes wherever we can.
A single corner shop might register proprietorship by proclaiming itself Alf's Mini Market or Alf's. But once it gets taken over by a larger commercial concern and is no longer under the ownership of Alf, nor of any individual(s), that association with 'possession' is history.
In other words, to insist on the apostrophe is to insist on tradition. That's fine. It's permissible to be a traditionalist. But it's not about grammar, correct or incorrect. In my view.It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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On the contrary, we are in the realms of taking away apostrophes where they should be. Waterstone's was a company started by Tim Waterstone, not Topsy and Tim Waterstone. Morrison(')s was started by Ken Morrison, not Ken and Lynne (though I wouldn't want to shop there even with an apostrophe).Originally posted by french frank View PostIt was apparently dropped in 2012.
What slightly - well, thoroughly - baffles me is that this is considered to be a matter of grammar/punctuation: as if the final 's' MUST be a possessive 's' and CANNOT be simply a plural 's'. We seem to be in the realm of vegetable's here where we must add apostrophes wherever we can. . .
We apostrophe nerds do not insist on tradition, because sometimes tradition gets it wrong. Calling a film "Two Weeks Notice" is the beginning of a tradition, but it's wrong.In other words, to insist on the apostrophe is to insist on tradition. That's fine. It's permissible to be a traditionalist. But it's not about grammar, correct or incorrect. In my view.Comment
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Who's Tospy?Comment
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I'm not up on these things, but it strikes me that "two weeks notice" makes more sense than "two weeks' notice", if we are talking about the concept of possession. The weeks, whatever the number of them, can't possess the notice. At a stretch, the notice could arguably possess two weeks. Surely the 'weeks' bit is purely plural.Comment
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It's a period of notice of two weeksComment
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I still don't understand why there should be a possessive apostropheOriginally posted by jean View PostComment
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Possession is only one of the functions of the genitive case.
Here is an explanation:
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Someone who, like me, is preternaturally typographically challenged, I submit...Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View PostComment
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Thanks. It would seem that in English the genitive case is pretty much limited to possession. That's maybe why I don't see much of a rationale for expressing any genitive with an apostrophe (as opposed to using 'of'), other than a proper possessive.Originally posted by jean View PostComment
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... and snap! Before we moved back to Wiltshire in my early childhood we were in Paultons Square, off the King's Road. There is no apostrophe in Paultons Square...Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View PostHaving now checked a map, I have to admit that your message was the first time I've noted that King's Road has an apostrophe, vints. And I was literally raised within 200 metres of it!
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'Afghanistan has changed beyond recognition, and that should be recognised.' - top NATO General in Afghanistan on R4 Today this morning. Yes it makes sense, but is inelegant.Comment
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