01-30-2009, 09:30 AM | #1 | |
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Birmingham drops apostrophes
I was outraged to read the following article in "The Register":
Quote:
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01-30-2009, 09:33 AM | #2 |
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I see the 'dumbing down' theory doesn't apply only to the U.S...........
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01-30-2009, 09:36 AM | #3 |
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As if a even a half-witted programmer couldn't write a hook to test words ending in s with an apostrophe before the s or after.....
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01-30-2009, 09:48 AM | #4 |
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Here in the US they are overused, particularly with acronyms. Drives my mom mad.
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01-30-2009, 09:51 AM | #5 |
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Speaking as a local authority on the subject, we dropped the apostrophe in Bham long ago, without the need for city council codification. I blame texting, because typing the whole 10 letters gives you thumb cramps.
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01-30-2009, 09:53 AM | #6 |
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There was a discussion about this on the radio. Someone suggested apostrophes should be eradicated; but another contributor pointed out that:
"The dogs like my father" is very different to: "The dog's like my father" |
01-30-2009, 09:59 AM | #7 |
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People of the Midlands, arise: and paint those apostrophes back in.
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01-30-2009, 10:00 AM | #8 |
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I blame it on the fact that you live there. I find it amusing that you live in a town called "Bham". "Thwack" or "Thud" might be better, but "Bham" is good enough.
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01-30-2009, 10:30 AM | #9 | ||
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Quote:
Quote:
Edit: It's not Bham like "BAM," but it's Bham like "Bee-ham." Classier! |
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01-30-2009, 10:31 AM | #10 |
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Huh, at first I thought this was one of those internet urban myths, but it's true! A google search turned up the UK Daily Mail article which included the following -
"....Moseley and Kings Heath Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Mullaney, who devised the policy, believes Birmingham should follow the example of the U.S., which dropped the possessive apostrophe in place names in 1890 and Australia, which followed suit in 2001...." Browsing through my "Melway Greater Melbourne Street Directory 2006" (I'm too mean to buy the latest version), I find - Under streets: Kings Court, Kings Road, Kings Lane, Kings Way...... Places of worship: St Lukes, St James, St Johns, St Marys...... I've never noticed this before. It just looks plain lazy. It DOES look dumbed down. |
01-30-2009, 10:48 AM | #11 |
Holy S**T!!!
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01-30-2009, 11:20 AM | #12 |
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Well if you have both "Kings Street" and "King's Street" you have a problem. Language used on signs or language used in advertising have always been simplified or adapted for the purpose. To me the change sounds like a well motivated and good change that will have positive consequences.
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01-30-2009, 11:28 AM | #13 |
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I just remembered something. A couple of years ago when we began to digitize our patient records, the rule was made that we did not include apostrophes, regardless of however the mother chose to spell her child's name. It solved the perpetual question of whether to use the punctuation or not. So if mom calls the kid xxxxx'ica, in our records, the kid is forever xxxxica. Simple fix for a potential world of confusion. Except for the fictional joke names we use to remember the rule: Little De'mon and Little Mon'key become Little Demon and Little Monkey.
Last edited by DixieGal; 01-30-2009 at 11:30 AM. |
01-30-2009, 11:34 AM | #14 | |
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Quote:
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01-30-2009, 11:49 AM | #15 |
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