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Hi Wendy,

I looked into this a few years ago and it's called the Greengrocer's apostrophe.

If you google it, you will find a myriad of information about it

Personally I find the lack of an apostrophe and mangling of the words more annoying.
e.g. "your" instead of "you're"
"should of" instead of should've
Makes me cringe every time I see them. Probably caused by sloppy speech.

My favourite apostrophe story. A woman is standing in a long queue in the butcher's shop and idly reads the notices on the wall One reads Our best steak pie's £6.99. When she gets served she says to the lad behind the counter "there shouldn't be an apostrophe in pies". Reply was "don't get on to me missus, it's no up to me what he puts in his pies".

Loved your story Teenieleek ! It really did make me laugh out loud. However, on the rare occasion I do risk buying a pie these days I'm sure there are bits of apostrophe in there.
Cheers J

Then there's the missing apostrophe in "On Jordan's Banks the Baptists Cry".

I have a cushion, presumably made in China or Largs, which states: The cat and i'ts staff live here.

One day, I will unpick the apostrophe, but it is going to leave a dirty great space in the wording.

Thank you all for these posts. Three laugh out louds. Needed them.

well done Bernie, you are correct with the ands

attention of Dave - pigandwhistle -
leave more space between pig and and and and whistle. That is only 4 ands.

Stories of the apostrophe are legion, but I just have to share this one. After a long and pleasant walk on Wednesday evening, my other half and I dropped in to our newly refurbished local to imbibe. There, in glorious gold leaf on the light mahogany bar surround was engraved:

ALE"S BEER"S SPIRIT'S WINE"S
I cried into mine!!!