That smart tweet got wide play. Everyone from editors to wiseacres retweeted and posted it.
Could Sam have been referencing the Old Navy t-shirt apostrophe catastrophe? Just a day later, Syracuse University joined a host of others pointing out that the popular retailer's line of collegiate shirts, with the slogan "Lets Go, [College name]!"
(screen capture from Old Navy site, via syracuse.com)
was missing the essential apostrophe in "Let's"!
What kind of a college wants a big ol' grammar error on their t-shirts? The manufacturer pulled the shirts asap, but the tweets and emails were flying. Apostrophes are troublemakers!
Apostrophes can indicate either possession or contraction. In a contraction, an apostrophe takes the place of a missing letter or letters: can't (cannot), don't (do not), rock 'n' roll (rock and roll), let's (let us), 'em (them). As in Let's get 'em!
To really get apostrophes, it's necessary to first think about what they are doing. Look at the word you are unsure about. Think about what it would be if it were said as two words. If it's (it is) a contraction, use that apostrophe! If the word is a plain old plural: "I need college t-shirts (shirts is plural)," it doesn't.
Of course, the whole issue of apostrophes with possessives is another story: one told in my previous post Hornet's Nests and April Fools..
Many books will help us figure it all out. For a quick eBook refresher, try Mignon Fogarty's
Grammar Girl's Punctuation 911.
If you want a hardcover on the bookshelf, few are better or more useful than the new
The Glamour of Grammar from Roy Peter Clark.
And finally, a few years ago, I read this wonderful story in Michael Quinon's World Wide Words newsletter:
The grammar police have been harassing U.K. indie Horatios Bookshop for two years about the lack of an apostrophe in the bookstore's name. Now, owners Robert and Sue Batt have put the dilemma up for vote, Bedford Today reported.
"When we opened the shop we were a bit undecided whether to use an apostrophe or not, but in the end we decided not to because we thought it looked neater without," said Robert. "But over the last year we just haven't heard the end of it. People are always asking us why there is no apostrophe, so we've given in and are now holding a referendum all through this month so people can vote."
Thus far, the voters are evenly split. "I didn't quite realize people's love of the English language and how irate they would get about a little apostrophe, it's caused us no end of trouble," Robert added.
How would you have voted? What's your favorite apostrophe catastrophe? Let us know! (Or should that be "let's know"?! . . . )
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Ellen Scordato has 25 years' book publishing experience as an editor, copy editor, proofreader, and managing editor. She's now a partner in The Stonesong Press, a nonfiction book producer and agency. In addition to her work at Stonesong, Ellen has taught grammar, punctuation, and style at the New School for more than 12 years in the English Language Studies department and taught English as a Second Language at Cabrini Immigrant Services.
