Pedants on the EDF

[Keef]

Although they can both be correct, I can't stand s's. There is a big department store in Liverpool called Lewis's, always made me seethe.

[Mick Mac]

The best thing to do - is get a big ladder on a dark night..... s's's's'sorted.

[woofmarkthedog]

Sorry...

( not really )

But in my dyslexic minds eye I keep reading "Pendants on the EDF"

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Amber.pendants.800pix.050203.jpg

Which in it self is quite nice

( I like the one on the left or is that the right...erm..? )

W**F

[SimonM]

I don't mind "cheeses" - I am often told they want me for a sunbeam - but "PIN Number" drives me mad!

[silverfox]

There are times when being pedantic is the correct thing to do, especially if someone, a body, is trying to convince you using suspect facts.

However, the thing that annoys me is the rogue apostrophe that is becoming commonplace, partly I suspect due to thick, badly educated, advertising creatives/executives, eg, CD's, DVD's, 1800's, 1900's etc.

In all these cases the words are plurals (NB more than one, thick advertising jerk) - the apostrophe (ie possessive here)shouldn't be there.

To say, eg, 'In the 1960's the Beatles were great' means 'In the of 1960s the Beatles were great' - ie nonsense. Look at most Virgin Airlines/HMV records ads and you'll see the English language being murdered.

Ps, s's after people's names. Licence/license, as noun, interchangable if used consistently, ie you can use American English as long as you are consistent. In English the rule is c when noun, s when verb, ie, (English, English) it is the role of magistrates to license public houses to sell alcohol. Pubs are licensed to sell alcohol. Pubs have licences to sell alcohol.

Other than that, yes, pedants, don't you hate them.

[RosieH]

Keef Wrote:

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> Although they can both be correct, I can't stand

> s's. There is a big department store in Liverpool

> called Lewis's, always made me seethe.

But that's how you say it Keef - Lewises. Or do you say you're going to Lewis (ooh, like Morse)? Punctuation is your friend Keef - it's there to help you say it proper.

Edited due to hangover spelling

[Huguenot]

annaj I'm not sure about the pedant arguing that St. Thomas acturally referred to several people, and hence the use of the apostrophe.

If it were named after several individuals of that name, the correct term would be Saints Thomas, or Sts. Thomas and so on.

[Ladymuck]

*glances at watch*

Well "hello" Huguenot. You took your time:))!

[Huguenot]

That's an interesting use of 'hello' there.

It almost turns it into a verb - to 'hello' someone.

I hello you too Ladymuck

;-)

[Alec John Moore]

There's a reference to the origins of the St Thomas' hospital apostrophe conundrum in Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots & Leaves. I've loaned it to a friend so can't check and share. Maybe someone else has a copy they can consult.

[Ladymuck]

Ha ha!

You are, in all likelihood, not going to believe this Mr. H, but I thought you might say as much! Indeed, it is for that reason I decided to use the wotsits ("). Do they not make a difference?

Anyway, while you grace us with your presence, you wouldn't happen to know whether the second "h" of "Ha ha" above should be a capital letter? My pea-brain says no, but my eyes tell me it looks peculiar in lower case. Louisiana? Santerme? Any other forum pedants? (*gives big fat cheeky grin*).

[Brendan]

That dam book?s about as annoying as a grocers? apostrophe.

[Huguenot]

I understand after a little research that St. Thomas themselves claim the use of the apostrophe is attributable to there being two Saints of that name.

This appears to be both post rationalisation, and it compounds the error by trying to insist that it is correct.

The correct usage if it referred to multiple individuals would be either 'Saints Thomas' or a more colloquial 'Saint Thomases' either of which could carry the apostrophe and possibly an additional 's' according to taste.

I say post rationalisation, because wall plaques in the older part of the hospital name it as "St.Thomas's".

Hence the current usage seems to be a modern invention, and apparently quite arbitrary, and likely to be based on conversational convenience rather than grammatical accuracy.

George Bernard Shaw campaigned long and hard that for the removal of apostrophes from posessives. He referred to them as 'uncouth bacilli'. I'm considering supporting him.

It also lead to this rather clever assertion from one anonymouse commentator:

"If in doubt it is better to leave an apostrophe out than to put it in. This is because if you leave it out incorrectly this will be put down either to an oversight or to an affinity with the views of George Bernard Shaw. On the other hand, if you put it in incorrectly this will be attributed (rightly) to ignorance."

[Ladymuck]

Huguenot Wrote:

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> It also lead to this rather clever assertion from

> one anonymouse commentator

a pedantic rodent?

[Huguenot]

Indeed. I thought you'd like that one :)

[Ladymuck]

Loved it!(tu)

[Atticus]

Barons Court and Earl's Court, never quite understood that.

[Huguenot]

With Barons Court the mistake isn't the one you think it is.

It should actually be Baronscourt as it was named after an Irish estate with connections to Sir William Palliser who built the district.

Hence no apostrophe, but it should be one word....

Interesting eh?

[RosieH]

Huguenot, lovely Huguenot, sometimes you really are a freak of nature.

[Ladymuck]

RosieH Wrote:

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> Huguenot, lovely Huguenot, sometimes you really

> are a freak of nature.

Sometimes?

[Huguenot]

Well I used to sell advertising on the LU, so stories of those kind were my in-trade!

It reminds me of a tube fancy dress party where one chap came as Cockfosters - with an artfully placed can of poor quality Australian lager - and another who came in with a piece of turf that he stuck behind the telly - Hyde Park Corner.

Now, back to me dictionary... I've reached 'specious'. Hmmm.

[annaj]

Huguenot, I stand corrected, humbled and thoroughly ashamed of my foolish suggestion that St Thomas' referred to two saints.

I am clearly out of my depth, so I'm going to go back to giggling at katie1997's and SimonM's posts (or should that be katie1997 and SimonMs'? Or katie1997 and SimonM's?) about cheeses.

[Huguenot]

It most certainly wasn't a foolish suggestion, I have done you a disservice!

It was a thrilling conundrum, involving deception and misdirection in the highest of places. We are no more than pawns in their Great Game.

It's a challenge that lies at the very core of Bitishness and even attracted the attention of GBS.

It was, in short, a superb contribution for pedants!

[HAL9000]

I wonder - could the plurality assigned to St. Thomas be a (gnostic) echo of the New Testament words Dydimous Thomas?

The name "Thomas" comes from the Aramaic word for twin: T'oma, but the Greek word Dydimous also means twin.

The phrase "Dydimous Thomas" at John 20:24, therefore, translates into English as "twin, twin".

[Ladymuck]

Huguenot Wrote:

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It's a challenge that lies at the very core of

> Bitishness and even attracted the attention of

> GBS.

For someone who has reached the "s" of the dictionary...

*pissing myself!*