Collumpton Thinks About Banning The Apostrophe
Mid-Devon Council has provoked outrage, by discussing the removal of the apostrophe from street signs. Appropriately, this is the subject of a piece in the Guardian.
A picture in the piece is from my neck of the woods; Hackney and shows a sign labelled “Childrens’ Garden”
I think that they should all be correctly shown.
Note that even Transport for London, has an apostrophe anomaly in Barons Court not being Baron’s Court. It’s all explained here.
The Anonymous Widower 
It is merely a question of getting the grammar correct and not being linguistically lazy. If they learn the rules, they won’t be scattering the “grocer’s apostrophe” like confetti in their writing. There is no need to remove the apostrophe from street signs.
By the way, I have seen “childrens’ ” in a sign directing people to the “Childrens’ Ward” at Manchester Royal Infirmary. When I pointed out the mistake to the receptionist, she was not interested. We are probably sleep-walking to semi-literacy.
Comment by Janice Mermikli | March 16, 2013 |
That sign must be somewhere near me, as I’m in Hackney. I might go looking for it!
Comment by AnonW | March 16, 2013 |