Friday 10 February 2012

The Greengrocer's' Apostrophe'

Reading the tag line of my blog, it says "The Trials and Tribulations of a Novice Runner (plus some other bits)".  Well, it occurs to me that so far there has been nothing about 'other bits' so today I thought I would share with you one of my absolute pet hates - The Greengrocer's Apostrophe. 

I recently came across this scribbled note in a shop window:

A collection of apostrophes if I ever saw one (what is the collective noun for an apostrophe I wonder?)  Now I suppose some leniency can be given to handwritten notices as there are clearly a lot of people in this country who find the apostrophe and how to use it beyond baffling although I'm really not sure why.  I was born and raised in Italy and didn't come to England until well into my primary school education and therefore it could be argued that English is not my first language.  I have to admit that my grasp of grammar could be better, I'm not always 100% sure on the proper use of the semi-colon and colon for example, but I like to think I have mastered the art of the apostrophe simply by the fact that it doesn't actually have that many rules.  But, whilst some leniency may be given to handwritten signs, the misplaced apostrophes that I find the most remarkable of all are those where the sign has been done by a professional signwriter.  I would've thought that a prerequisite of being a signwriter was a great grasp of the English language and rules of grammar.

Let me tell you a little story to illustrate my point.  Last year we went to Truckfest at the Bath & West Showground.  The showground was full of beautiful trucks with some of them being a great testament to the signwriter's art; there was everything from wolves to wild mustangs and fairies through to dogs.  Now presumably they were all done by professionals as I am sure the ordinary Joe would not be able to pick up a spray gun and create a masterpiece on the side of a metal panel.  And then we came across this one:


  
Sorry the picture is not clearer but unfortunately another truck was in the way so I could only take a side view but just in case it's not obvious this is what it says:

1) A Rolling Stone Gather's No Moss
2) I Bet Mines Bigger Than Yours

Does anyone else find this slightly unbelievable?  Two professionally signwritten statements on the side of a truck and both of them wrong!  Oh how I chuckled to myself.  I have come across many a professional sign that either has a missing apostrophe or, more commonly, an apostrophe where it is not needed.  Most of the time I raise my eyebrow and move swiftly on but I think I may just have to start photographing them for posterity.  Well, it's a hobby of sorts isn't it?

The other thing that really gets my goat is when people don't know the difference between their, there and they're but that's a whole different post. 

1 comment:

  1. Eny fule no it should read:
    I bet mines bigge'r than your's.

    ReplyDelete