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English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:04 pm
by H
Birmingham, England's 2nd largest city, has decided to drop apostrophes from its "confusing and old-fashioned" street signs.

Within I read this:
"British grammarians have railed for decades against storekeepers' signs advertising the sale of 'apple's and pear's,' or pubs offering 'chip's and pea's.'"*
...and we complain about American English? :P


*When I see a pub offering peas, I'm glad I'm not a drinker in such establishments.
:o



8-)

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:34 pm
by Hagar
Birmingham

Doesn't surprise me at all. Another nail in the coffin of the English language. :'(

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4388343/Apostrophes-abolished-by-council.html

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:38 pm
by lunitic_8
Birmingham

Doesn't surprise me at all. Another nail in the coffin of the English language. :'(

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4388343/Apostrophes-abolished-by-council.html

WTF? :-?

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:50 pm
by Anxyous
I predict a 75% increase in efficiency of shops in Birmingham.

::)

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:52 pm
by skoker
Birmingham

Doesn't surprise me at all. Another nail in the coffin of the English language. :'(

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4388343/Apostrophes-abolished-by-council.html

WTF? :-?

I'm as lost as you... :-?

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 5:23 pm
by Craig.
What street signs? Most are generally vandalised and stolen.
Just another thing I can honestly say gives me reason to hate this depressing dump of a crap hole. (sorry to anyone from this depressing dump of a crap hole)
Debates over whether Kings Norton really should be King's - or even Kings' - Norton may rage on, but they will be useless.

At least my location has been noticed. ::)
To be fair though, given the average IQ of your typical Brummie, I doubt they'll notice anyway. Hell most of them don't even speak the language anyway. :-X
I'll say no more for fear of upsetting one of the few locals who actually can read more than a couple of words. (or is it word's) ::) :-?

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 5:31 pm
by Mushroom_Farmer

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:23 pm
by WebbPA
If language users are too stupid, lazy, indifferent, etc. to use proper language forms (apostrophes)  the language will eventually accommodate them.

It always has and it always will.

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 4:24 am
by expat
Never mind the correct or incorrect usage, what sort of person spends their days walking the town and then writing to the council to complain about the use of apostrophes..............probably the same people who complained about Johnath Ross ::)

Matt

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 4:48 am
by Fozzer
What street signs? Most are generally vandalised and stolen.
Just another thing I can honestly say gives me reason to hate this depressing dump of a crap hole. (sorry to anyone from this depressing dump of a crap hole)
Debates over whether Kings Norton really should be King's - or even Kings' - Norton may rage on, but they will be useless.

At least my location has been noticed. ::)
To be fair though, given the average IQ of your typical Brummie, I doubt they'll notice anyway. Hell most of them don't even speak the language anyway. :-X
I'll say no more for fear of upsetting one of the few locals who actually can read more than a couple of words. (or is it word's) ::) :-?


... ;D... ;D... ;D...!

...and its on the same latitude as "Liverpool", Craig...same problems...;)...!

Paul... ;D... ;D... ;D...!

P.S...Craig...do you still remember the South Gloucestershire Folk...scary thought!..;)...!!

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 4:48 am
by Hagar
Never mind the correct or incorrect usage, what sort of person spends their days walking the town and then writing to the council to complain about the use of apostrophes..............

Probably someone just like me. :P

Not that I'm quite that bad (yet) but standards will continue to fall unless we're prepared to do something about it.

probably the same people who complained about Johnath Ross ::)

Personally I've never liked that vile-mouthed, talentless idiot Ross & could never understand the BBC employing him at what can only be described as an obscene salary. >:(

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:34 am
by Craig.
What street signs? Most are generally vandalised and stolen.
Just another thing I can honestly say gives me reason to hate this depressing dump of a crap hole. (sorry to anyone from this depressing dump of a crap hole)
Debates over whether Kings Norton really should be King's - or even Kings' - Norton may rage on, but they will be useless.

At least my location has been noticed. ::)
To be fair though, given the average IQ of your typical Brummie, I doubt they'll notice anyway. Hell most of them don't even speak the language anyway. :-X
I'll say no more for fear of upsetting one of the few locals who actually can read more than a couple of words. (or is it word's) ::) :-?


... ;D... ;D... ;D...!

...and its on the same latitude as "Liverpool", Craig...same problems...;)...!

Paul... ;D... ;D... ;D...!

P.S...Craig...do you still remember the South Gloucestershire Folk...scary thought!..;)...!!


Good morning Mr Fozzer.
I do indeed remember as half my family live there. A couple of times a year I break out my passport and my bristolian to english dictionary and venture on down in hopes of not getting stuck behind a tractor. :D ;)

(or a mad man on his bike tearing around the Sainsbury's of the southwest) ;) ;D

Re: English Possessions are Going Plural

PostPosted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:17 am
by expat
What street signs? Most are generally vandalised and stolen.
Just another thing I can honestly say gives me reason to hate this depressing dump of a crap hole. (sorry to anyone from this depressing dump of a crap hole)
Debates over whether Kings Norton really should be King's - or even Kings' - Norton may rage on, but they will be useless.

At least my location has been noticed. ::)
To be fair though, given the average IQ of your typical Brummie, I doubt they'll notice anyway. Hell most of them don't even speak the language anyway. :-X
I'll say no more for fear of upsetting one of the few locals who actually can read more than a couple of words. (or is it word's) ::) :-?


... ;D... ;D... ;D...!

...and its on the same latitude as "Liverpool", Craig...same problems...;)...!

Paul... ;D... ;D... ;D...!

P.S...Craig...do you still remember the South Gloucestershire Folk...scary thought!..;)...!!


Good morning Mr Fozzer.
I do indeed remember as half my family live there. A couple of times a year I break out my passport and my bristolian to english dictionary and venture on down in hopes of not getting stuck behind a tractor. :D ;)


I can't reed and I can't right, but I can driver a tracter.

Matt (SW escapee)