Let's hear it for the apostrophe!

I'm a fan of Lynne Truss who wrote "Eats, Shoots & Leaves", subtitled "The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation". This is a guide to proper use of punctuation, with plenty of examples of its misuse! She tells that she found out some time ago there is an Apostrophe Protection Society. However, they are too courteous for her. She says she would be a member of their militant wing if they had one!


I, too am one of those people who want to preserve the correct use of English. So I tend to spot signs that are grammatically incorrect, or in some other way offend my sensibilities!



I suddenly realised that within the space of under a mile I had spotted five errors! Admittedly one was chalked up on a pub blackboard - "potatoe". Ouch! But now they've changed the menu, thank goodness! I've taken some photos, as you can see, and you may like to try to spot where the incorrect use of the Queen's English has taken place (click on a photo to see a larger image).


Let me say that I haven't included the sign at our local Somerfields which tells us that at the one checkout the maximum in your basket must be "6 item's".

In case you need explanations, here they are. First of all, of course, the apostrophe. It should be "Members' Car Park" (unless it only has one member, then the apostrophe is before the 's'.)

Next up, oh dear! "License" is the verb form, i.e. "to license" but "Licence" is the noun and should be used here. Unless, that is you are in America, then either will do.

Next is an interesting one. CCTV stands for "closed circuit television". The circuit isn't close as opposed to far away, but closed as opposed to open.





Admittedly the antique shop has been closed for quite some time and I'm sure it didn't close because of the incorrect use of quotation marks! However, suffice it to say that "bric-a-brac" actually uses dashes.


Finally, let us end on the famous "greengrocer's apostrophe"! Perhaps they did it on purpose to encourage people to go in. Can I say that it's a brilliant shop and you should go in!



Well, there we are. I'm sure I will find more devastating debasements of English. If I have my camera with me, I might even take a picture!