Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I'm astounded. The "greengrocer's apostrophe" is to be seen in almost every high street. Keep your eyes open for it - you'll soon see it.
|
Greengrocers aren't the only offenders, of course.
See the wikipedia article on apostrophes. The greengrocer's apostrophe is way down the page.
Quote:
Apostrophes used in a non-standard manner to form noun plurals are known as greengrocers' apostrophes, grocers' apostrophes or sometimes humorously greengrocers apostrophe's, "rogue apostrophes" or "idiot's apostrophes" (a literal translation of the German word Deppenapostroph, which criticises the misapplication of apostrophes in Denglisch). The practice, once common and acceptable (see Historical development), comes from the identical sound of the plural and possessive forms of most English nouns. It is often criticised as a form of hypercorrection coming from a widespread ignorance of the proper use of the apostrophe or of punctuation in general. Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves, points out that before the 19th century, it was standard orthography to use the apostrophe to form a plural of a foreign-sounding word that ended in a vowel (e.g., banana's, folio's, logo's, quarto's, pasta's, ouzo's) to clarify pronunciation. Truss says this usage is no longer considered proper in formal writing.
The term is believed to have been coined in the middle of the 20th century by a teacher of languages working in Liverpool, at a time when such mistakes were common in the handwritten signs and advertisements of greengrocers (e.g., Apple's 1/- a pound, Orange's 1/6d a pound). Some have argued that its use in mass communication by employees of well-known companies has led to the less grammatically able assuming it to be correct and adopting the habit themselves.
|