It’s well established on these pages that the misuse of the apostrophe is what’s going to finally push me over the edge! Of all of the grammatical errors, putting an apostrophe into a simple plural is the one I can’t tolerate or even understand. How did so many people come to believe it’s right to write it’s every time you use the word? I tell students to think about whether they’re trying to say “it is” and if not, leave the ‘ out.
But Cambridge, Mass. has gone too far the other way. They’ve declared war on the punctuation mark in its proper form and they even admit that it’s because so many people use it incorrectly. The explanation comes from Randy Cassingham’s This is True newsletter:
“Cambridge has a new punctuation rule. Well, not Cambridge University, but rather Cambridge City Council. “This is a regrettable erosion of the quality of the English language, and such a departure in a city as highly educated as Cambridge is even more regrettable,” complained council member John Hipkin. The new rule forbids the use of apostrophes in naming streets. “It was decided potential confusion over incorrectly punctuated street names meant we wouldnt use punctuation anymore,” said Nick Milne, whos in charge of street naming for the council. The rule doesnt apply to existing street names — nor to the name “Queens’ College, Cambridge,” in which the apostrophes placement makes the word plural: two queens founded the college in the 1400s.”
Tim Hortons removed the apostrophe a long time ago. The closure of Kellogg’s plant in London has been a bit confusing because the cereal is Kellogg’s but the company is Kellogg. It doesn’t take a whole lot of time or effort to double-check and make sure that you’ve done it right, though. So long Cambridge apostrophes. I imagine other foolish jurisdictions will follow their lead.
As with many things in today’s society, instead of doing things correctly or putting in the effort to do so, we simply yield to a lower standard and thus address the symptom verses the underlying problem. By default, we will always gravitate to the lowest common denominator and the path of least resistance.
It’s so true. Our language is a culmination of the dumbing down of our school kids!
As you know, we have a place in Jacksons Point, Ontario. I guess we must have won the lottery, ’cause we also have one in Jackson’s Point…depending on which signs/maps you read. It’s frustrating and leads me to my next fear: that if the call is heeded for Union Station in TO to be renamed after our 1st Prime Minister, the “a” in “Mac” will be dropped and people will think it’s just another place sponsored by a fast food business. ARGH!!!!