An apostrophe looks like a sperm with scoliosis. That’s fitting because the apostrophe is itself hobbled – by sloppy writers.
So, today, an appreciation for the wee squiggle that’s too often omitted and misused. And why not? Tuesday was International Apostrophe Day.
The apostrophe is elevated punctuation. Look where it sits: in the top half of a line of type.
But its status is oh, so lowly.
One difficulty is it’s small and easy to overlook. Another is we expect so much of it.
In contractions, of course, such as “it’s” for “it is” and “can’t” for “cannot.”
But also to signify missing letters in other contexts, as in “dancin’” for “dancing” and “’80s” for “1980s.”
And to mark possession. “Gauger’s bad writing,” for instance. Which means something different from “Gaugers’ bad writing.” And consider the somewhat confusing “children’s.”
That’s a lot to hang on a handful of pixels.
But wrong is wrong. And I’ve taken a stand – by joining the Apostrophe Protection Society, with about 400 members globally. Membership is free. Please consider becoming a nerdy warrior against apostrophe abuse.
More on writing and punctuation
A gentle grammarian and her table
I would gladly join the apostrophe protection society, but I have self doubt. What if I am one of those folks who get confused and uses one, or more, incorrectly?
Courage, Cindy. You know apostrophes well. And the society’s website has resources about the proper use of apostrophes.