A sign of the impending apocalypse: the apostrophe.

[icarus]

As many of you have no doubt read, The city of Birmingham is dropping apostrophes from street signs.

I was horrified until I read mad_maudlin's (our mad linguist) light and funny post about the history of using the possessive apostrophe and why it's NOT A SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE.

Many, "huh, really?" moments. Also, I'm rather embarrassed for the English language. Our underwear is showing.

Comments

[wenelda.livejournal.com]

That post by mad_maudlin is hilarious.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

mad_maudlin, in general, is hilarious. :D :D

[whimseywisp.livejournal.com]

THAT IS NOT OKAY.

I heart apostrophes!!! We need to fight to keep them!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

No, go read the post. You'll see how the possessive apostrophe isn't the same as other apostrophes.

[enname.livejournal.com]

Ahh... linguistics, you come back to me with a slap around the face. I do believe I vaguely recall this at some point or other, between attempting to read the cases of Old English, which as usual, made me hide under a table. While we are at it, let's (a perfectly valid contraction) remove commas because I loathe them.

I only like the genitive apostrophe for all the fuss it causes. *sits on sidelines with box of chocolates and a glass of apple cider*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

The plural genitive apostrophe is best for mayhem. *nods*

[mad_maudlin]

I was wondering why I suddenly has thirteen new comments and five new friends. :-)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Think what'll happen when you come back from Kazakhstan.

[greenling.livejournal.com]

I've never seen an apostrophe on a street sign before. I thought they normally dropped punctuation for space purposes.

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

wow....

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I'm amused that there's a region that's on the cutting edge of apostrophe use.

I'm curious. Do you check your f-list once in a blue moon and scroll back through centuries of old posts? :) You usually do these runs of comments.

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

i do. i have another livejournal that i post to that my rl friends read, this is more my fandom journal and my super-mega private thoughts journal. but i like to keep tabs on you every now and then. see whats going on in the life of icarus, but also so many of your posts teach me something either about the world in general, politics, buddhism, or just plain common sense.
this time i let a couple months pass, but usually i check once every two weeks-ish.
hope you don't mind.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

No, of course I don't. *g* I just noted a pattern and wondered if my guess at the why was right. I usually wouldn't ask, but curious Icarus is curious today.

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

hahaha.
you deduced correctly, curious icarus. i also deduce that you read lolcats, based on your last statement.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oh, indeed. Cats make the world a better place.

And have a tiny kitten</a. (http://www.spikedhumor.com/articles/144915/Cutest-Tiny-Kitten.html)

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

*dies of cuteness*