Why apostrophes are important

[Twenty Inch]

I saw a pub called "The Engineers Mate" the other day.

Anyone else got a favourite grammatical error?

 

[gavintc]

Must have an interesting pub sign!!

 

[Melvil]

An indian takeaway in the midlands had a sign saying:

'Quality and Quantity is our main objective.'

 

[Chris James]

Not related to apostophes (sorry) but there is a pub in Chester called the Marlbororough Arms.

The signwriter made the spelling mistake donkey's years ago and subsequent owners stayed with the revised name.

 

[marinyork]

I thought with names of places that with regards to apostrophes that they cannot be wrong - that the local quirk becomes the definition of the spelling?

 

[Maz]

I saw a pub called "The Engineers Mate" the other day.

Anyone else got a favourite grammatical error?

Um...it's grammatically correct, though probably not what was intended.

 

[dodgy]

There used to be a chinese chippy on Lincoln High Street called 'Legal Food'. Seriously, it was up for many many years but I think they eventually changed it to 'Regal Food'.

Perhaps hubgearfreek can confirm, he lives in Lincoln I believe?

Dave.

 

[marinyork]

If anyone's read it, Eats, Shoots and Leaves has a wickedly funny correction made to some racist graffiti somewhere in America.

 

[dodgy]

Hmm, just checked and it appears it's still called 'Legal Food' WTF!

Dave.

 

[Globalti]

There used to be an ice cream shop in Terpes, Hungary, called Salmonella Ice Cream. The sign has been taken down now.

Don't get me started on apostrophes, I had a huge barney with our factory manager over a sign he erected: "HGV's turn here". I won and now the apostrophe has gone, leaving an unsightly blob of sticky stuff.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

For years there was a building in Mablethorpe with a sign emblazoned on the roof: "Horse's for hire". I felt irrationally irritated by it each time I passed.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Those old things in the corner are my husbands.
My dinner was ruined so I ate my brothers.

Incidentally, I was pleasantly surprised when I last visited Skegness - the vast majority of the shops there seem to have correctly used apostrophes in their signs.

 

[PashleyPrincess]

Drives me mad when I see 1950's rather than 1950s etc

 

[Maz]

I sometimes have an overwhelming urge to change every TO LET sign I see to read TOILET, don't you?

 

[Yellow Fang]

For years there was a building in Mablethorpe with a sign emblazoned on the roof: "Horse's for hire". I felt irrationally irritated by it each time I passed.

Depends if there is only one horse for hire.