Comments on: Greengrocers apostrophe’s http://www.dont-be-a-twit.com/2007/03/28/greengrocers-apostrophes/ How to use the Internet without getting up other people's noses Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:28:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dave http://www.dont-be-a-twit.com/2007/03/28/greengrocers-apostrophes/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Dave Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:57:28 +0000 http://www.dont-be-a-twit.com/2007/03/28/greengrocers-apostrophes/#comment-15 I've never seen a satisfactory way around "dos". I remember being confused for ages on first reading a line in <em>The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy</em>, where Zaphod says "Bat's dos, I can't work it out." This was several years before <abbr title="Disk Operating System">DOS</abbr> was a familiar computing term, so that wasn't the source of my confusion. I just didn't see what Douglas Adams meant. I’ve never seen a satisfactory way around “dos”. I remember being confused for ages on first reading a line in The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, where Zaphod says “Bat’s dos, I can’t work it out.”

This was several years before DOS was a familiar computing term, so that wasn’t the source of my confusion. I just didn’t see what Douglas Adams meant.

]]> By: Kay http://www.dont-be-a-twit.com/2007/03/28/greengrocers-apostrophes/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Kay Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:24:43 +0000 http://www.dont-be-a-twit.com/2007/03/28/greengrocers-apostrophes/#comment-14 "Do's and don'ts" is another common one, but I must admit that "dos" sometimes looks a bit strange. Is there any way around this? As for the superfluous apostrophe in abbreviations, even many corporate sites have them. How many times have you seen things like the following? Save £1,000's! FAQ's DVD's “Do’s and don’ts” is another common one, but I must admit that “dos” sometimes looks a bit strange. Is there any way around this?

As for the superfluous apostrophe in abbreviations, even many corporate sites have them. How many times have you seen things like the following?

Save £1,000′s!

FAQ’s

DVD’s

]]> By: Dave http://www.dont-be-a-twit.com/2007/03/28/greengrocers-apostrophes/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Dave Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:46:34 +0000 http://www.dont-be-a-twit.com/2007/03/28/greengrocers-apostrophes/#comment-13 <em>'s</em> for a plural is correct in Dutch when a word ends in a vowel – for instance, the plural of the Dutch word for an umbrella (<em>paraplu</em>) is <em>paraplu's</em>. But it's not much help knowing that if you're trying to write in English. ‘s for a plural is correct in Dutch when a word ends in a vowel – for instance, the plural of the Dutch word for an umbrella (paraplu) is paraplu’s. But it’s not much help knowing that if you’re trying to write in English.

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