The Apostrophe Patrol is not always critical and negative. Occasionally the Patrol highlights excellence in apostrophe usage. This example from a poster in Branson is honored because it displays "its" and "it's" correctly in one small sign.
This provides glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary punctuational landscape.
Nice display at a local salon. Sharp sign. Inviting arrangement. Marred by an AP miscue.
This is a felony caught red handed in a DC airport. It's one thing when signmakers just screw up. It is quite another when they think the apostrophe is some little mark they can insert anywhere they want just to be cool.
At least Meadowlake Country Club is consistent and sexually neurtral with its apostrophe incorrectness. Unfortunately, it's par for the course.
The SQM Task Force reported this incident at the local Walmart. Do they really mean "40" . . . . . or something else ???
Nice contribution from Agent PP.
Misused apostrophes are fun to catch, but there is another Pervasive Punctuational Problem that is tearing at the foundations of Western civilization:
Superfluous Quotation Marks ("SQMs")
There are only two reasons to use quotation marks: (1) when you're actually quoting what someone said or wrote; and (2) when you're using a word in it's non-literal sense, e.g., someone "going nuclear" in public meeting, or a project being "in the ditch."
Lately I've seen many examples of quotation marks being used . . . for no reason at all. My first example is from son David at Mizzou. During the film festival this weekend he caught a "twofer." An AP violation and an SQM.
Thursday's "Girls' Nite Out" is a great fundraiser for the Community Breast Care Project.
There are, however, two distinct Apostrophe Violations in the poster -- unless there will just be one girl going out.
Carolyn Landwehr captured this violation on a trip to the Northwest.
They must have come from a different part of Germany. Note that they left a spot for the apostrophe, but intentionally decided against it. In criminal law that is the differnce between Murder First Degree and Manslaughter.
There are a couple of ways this MIGHT be right.
But we think it's just a Lake Ozark screw-up.
Guilty until proven innocent. But the ribs ARE pretty good.
High Street Beat is the personal weblog of John Landwehr, a partner at Cook Vetter Doerhoff & Landwehr and a former Mayor of Jefferson City. Your comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome.