I've heard of a greengrocers' apostrophe..

[Noodley]

Maybe they found three words they could spell, but because "car" only had 3 letters they thought it should have another letter somewhere and did not know if it was at the start or finish - hence the "..."


Hand
Wash
Carp?
Scar?
It's maybe a bit much to expect 3 four lettered words all together

 

[yello]

I thought the 'air punctuation' thing was apostrophes... but, thinking about it, people do 2 don't they? Like rabbit ears or something. Perhaps they are quotes. I'm confused now. I'd always thought that quotes are for quoting only, and apostrophes could, amongst other things, be used to indicate that kind of ironic use of a word.

 

[Fnaar]

Maybe they wanted to put vehicles, but couldn't spell it

 

[Robster]

Perhaps they are posh and they think the correct term is motor car, so they have put "car" in quotes because that's what us plebs call it.

 

[Fnaar]

Drive in, and ask them for a back, sack and crack. See what happens

 

[Odyssey]

It could mean two things.

Either, the scare quotes to suggest that it's the commonly named 'car wash' that everyone is so familiar and comfortable with, but they're using the word 'car' loosely and it is in fact a washing service for all automotive vehicles. Obviously 'automotive vehicle wash' wouldn't have the same ring to it, so they would be quite correct in using this language to attract customers.

However, it could also mean the opposite. It could mean that they are strictly quoting the word car, possibly as a reference of their own words? Thus emphasising that they only wash cars.

Because of its contradictory nature I would have to conclude that it's crap grammar, confusing the customers, despite that it may technically be correct in one form or another.

 

[palinurus]

I saw another example on my- very unpleasant cold'n'wet- ride today.

"Fun"
Pub
Quiz

Tuesday.​

 

[alecstilleyedye]

just noticed that the apostrophe is in the wrong place in the thread title…

 

[palinurus]

****.

****ing ****.

 

[palinurus]

**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****ing ****

 

[palinurus]

I've only just discovered it. I'm sure I used to be able to say ****. God knows I say it often enough.

 

[palinurus]

It seems naughtier somehow.

****!

 

[alecstilleyedye]

should that have been ****in' ****?