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Date:   Mon, 11 Jun 2001 21:36:23 -0700
Reply-To:   Charles McGehee <chasm@ELLTEL.NET>
Sender:   Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:   Charles McGehee <chasm@ELLTEL.NET>
Subject:   Re: Apostrophes & spelling (was Re: Sears disaster- BOZO's heh)
Comments:   To: T Berk <tberk@MINDSPRING.COM>
In-Reply-To:   <3B255856.7DD68EFD@mindspring.com>
Content-Type:   text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

The Harbrace College Handbook (7th edition, 1972; p. 143; granted not the most recent edition) says:

"Use the apostrophe and s to form the plural of lower case letters and of abbreviations followed by periods. When needed to prevent confusion, use the apostrophe and s to form the plural of capital letters, of abbreviations not following by periods, and of words referred to as words.

[examples] a's, th's, p.s.'s, Ph.D.'s, P.O.W.'s His I's are illegible, and his loss's look like lass's. [NOT Is, losss, or lasss]

Either 's or s may be used to form such plurals as the following:

the 1970's OR the 1970s two B's OR two Bs her and's OR her ands his 7's OR his 7s the &'s OR the &s the VFW's OR the VFWs"

So, what has this got to do with Vanagons (or is it Vanagon's)? I think I missed something.

Charles '85 Westy

At 04:46 PM 6/11/01 -0700, T Berk wrote: >Andrew Grebneff wrote: > > > > (Some english scholar help me: should there be an apostrophe in bozo's for > > the plural version, should it be bozos?) you're not a bozo for asking, at > > least you realize there's a problem. > > > > NO there should not. An apostrophe is used to denote a possessive (Horace's > > Vanagon), not plurals (there are two Horaces). It should NOT be used with > > plural numbers (B29s) or acronyms (CRTs), unless it is intended to show > > that the B29 or CRT "owns" something. > > > > Apostrophes are also used for certain contractions (they're, that's). The > > Engish unfortunately still use them for certain clumsy contractions > > ('phone, 'plane; surprisingly, they don't use sub' or car', but still > > sometimes use to-day or to-morrow!). ><snip> > > Plural of Bozo is Bozos. > > > > Andrew Grebneff > > >Hmmm, I thought it was Boz'i. > >LOL! > >TBerk


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