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Tyke

Sad news but I think we should battle on here. At the gym today I could not believe my eyes - A notice was headed - "Christma's Activities"

Tyke, thanks for the APS stuff, APS' stuff, APS'S stuff...

I have since read a little more in today's Times. I was relieved to read that John Richards remains 'irritated by poor punctuation... The use of the comma is appalling.'

We owe it to Mr Richards to continue to be vigilant - this will counteract his suggestion that fewer organisations and individuals care about the correct usage [of apostrophes].

Jigjag, the notice in your gym was a shocker!

Thanks Malone & Jigjag

Pleasingly it appears that Mr Richards` website has experienced an upsurge in traffic over the last two days ... ergo, there must still be people who care about such matters ... as well as PU posters and readers.

Malone, Tyke

After reading your postings yesterday, I decided to complain about the “Christma’s Activities” at the gym. I spoke to the manager, Ed Trainor.

“I’m afraid that was our little joke” said Ed. “We read the article in the Times and inserted an apostrophe to see if anyone noticed. We had a couple of complaints from a Scottish woman and a Yorkshireman, so we removed it with Tipp-ex.”

“Thank you. Some of us get irritated about wrong apostrophes” I replied.

“Of course, when I was in the Navy, we had to get it right. Anyone who got fo’c’s’le wrong was in trouble. Difficult word with 3 apostrophes” said Ed.

“I suppose it’s 4 if you had to say “the fo’c’s’le’s clear” or whatever” I suggested.

“Another problem we get here is “gym” or should it be gym’.” he added.

“Well, there are missing letters so I suppose gym’ is correct.”

“You mean gym’’s correct” he chuckled.

Jigjag, well done on confronting Mr Trainor. I was relieved to hear that the 'Christma's Activities' was just a little joke -a pretty feeble joke, but better than apostrophe-ignorance, of course.

I find apostrophes for abbreviations a little trickier. I'm a little puzzled about the three in 'fo'c'sle' as I've always thought there were only two. My friend, C. H. Ambers seems to agree. I'm perfectly happy to abandon apostrophes for abbreviations at the ends of words. Your " gym' " looks ungainly.

Malone

Thanks. I am going to the gym again tomorrow, not particularly for fitness purposes, but to look for further errant apostrophes.

I first saw fo'c's'le with its 3 apostrophes in an Agatha Christie novel and it has them in my old Chambers. I am sorry that Mr Amber's has now dropped one and added it to his own name.

I always get confused with naval words. I never know where to put the apostrophes in b'o's'u'n, so I always use boatswain.

Jigjag, aren't words fascinating? I really don't like 'fo'c's'le', it looks such an unlikely word - and really rather ugly. You'll be pleased to hear that my old friend Collin S, has it - he's been around since 2004, so slightly more modern than Agatha. My other old chum, often referred to as ODE, uses only 'foc's'le'.

Your boatswain also has variations - bo's'un and bosun from Collin, bo'sun and bosun in ODE. There's a wider choice still in Chambers - bosun, bo'sun, bo's'n and bos'n.

Malone

Delighted to hear that your friend Colin has it with 3 ap's. Pity your poet friend doesn't recognise it. I love those bosun variations. I am not sure what one does but it is a lovely word.

Jigjag, aren't you glad those cumbersome words are ones we'd seldom - if ever - use? I bet the spelling variations are partly to blame for the virtual disappearance. If I was writing a book, I think I'd have the captain/skipper talking rather than the 'bo-whatever-sun'. I'd also have everyone going to the bridge, rather than the F- place. That'd make things much easier!

Malone, Jigjag

Thanks for all the nautical stuff. I have never said or written f''''''''e, or b'''n in my life, but love the words even though I dont know what they mean. I suppose a boatswain swains boats but what does that mean?

I have been on a few ferries but do they have the F-word?