It's is not the possessive form of it. July 10, 2008 10:52 AM   Subscribe

The apostrophe seems to trip up just about everyone, even many Mefites. For future reference, you may want to bookmark this site that gives the 13 rules for the use of the apostrophe.
posted by Daddy-O to MetaFilter-Related at 10:52 AM (125 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite

Thank's
posted by Paid In Full at 10:54 AM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


I don't think this' really appropriate for MetaTalk.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 10:54 AM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


Your lame.
posted by ND¢ at 10:55 AM on July 10, 2008 [5 favorites]


Gee whiz, thanks! Now can you explain the difference between "there" and "their" and "they're"?
posted by amro at 10:56 AM on July 10, 2008


:'''''''''(
posted by sciurus at 10:56 AM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


I've cut people for less than this.
posted by The Straightener at 10:56 AM on July 10, 2008 [5 favorites]


I'm not sure if I get how this is MeFi related?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:56 AM on July 10, 2008


Grocers everywhere are up in arms' at being left out.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:57 AM on July 10, 2008


::Make's popcorn::
posted by kate blank at 10:59 AM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


I like Bob the Angry Flower's version.
posted by MrMoonPie at 11:00 AM on July 10, 2008 [3 favorites]


Eats, shoots, leaves.
posted by tkolar at 11:02 AM on July 10, 2008


BTW, the possessive form of "it" is the one that regularly checks your cell phone call log and hates it when you're out on weeknights.
posted by tkolar at 11:04 AM on July 10, 2008 [4 favorites]


zomg prescriptivism stop oppressing the poor grocer's and their unique folkway's
posted by grobstein at 11:06 AM on July 10, 2008 [5 favorites]


[not grocery]
posted by grobstein at 11:07 AM on July 10, 2008


Cousin It's cup of annoyance overfloweth.
posted by prefpara at 11:07 AM on July 10, 2008


RAINMAN PROOFREADER CENTRAL
posted by Artw at 11:08 AM on July 10, 2008


A little condescending, a little passive-aggressive... I like your game.
posted by Divine_Wino at 11:10 AM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


Thanks, Dad!
posted by AwkwardPause at 11:11 AM on July 10, 2008


tl'dr
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:11 AM on July 10, 2008


Welcome to Jesus' and dios's house of Beansplates.
posted by Mister_A at 11:12 AM on July 10, 2008


This is, as I have mentioned before, how I remember the difference

alt.possessive.its.has.no.apostrophe
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:15 AM on July 10, 2008


Your talkin all that jazz.
posted by cashman at 11:15 AM on July 10, 2008


I also have compiled some useful tips on the subject.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:15 AM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


You know who else was overly possessive? That’s right: The Ezra Pwned.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:17 AM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


Did you expect to be shat on or pelted with bottles when you posted this? Because, lucky day, your getting both to'day!
posted by Mister_A at 11:17 AM on July 10, 2008


In the interest of efficiency I propose we pelt him with bottles of shit.
posted by Divine_Wino at 11:22 AM on July 10, 2008


"I've cut people for less than this."

I think you mean fewer.
posted by Eideteker at 11:23 AM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


I guess you think your better then me, dick?!
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:23 AM on July 10, 2008


Piffle. All rules in the English language are meant to be broken; no matter how much some folks may yearn for an Académie française of their own, they cannot have it.

I shall now go break a window to punctuate the end of my remark.
posted by aramaic at 11:24 AM on July 10, 2008




I dont thin'k I will, but thanks' for try'ing.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:25 AM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


This is why I come to Metafilter, the grammer lesson's.
posted by desjardins at 11:25 AM on July 10, 2008


Metafilter: Shut you're piehole
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:26 AM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


Amro: Here are the rules for there, their, and they're. Their you go, glad to help!
posted by Daddy-O at 11:26 AM on July 10, 2008


Also, for a lurker, you sure got a lot of opinion's. LURK MOAR.
posted by desjardins at 11:26 AM on July 10, 2008


"Rule 2. Use the apostrophe to show possession."

I can see you're point. English's confusing.
posted by Eideteker at 11:27 AM on July 10, 2008


Christ, what an ass'hole.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 11:27 AM on July 10, 2008


This thread is very undude.
posted by kosem at 11:31 AM on July 10, 2008


What really cheeses me off is when we're summoning Cthulhu and some dickweed says "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu Rl'yeh wgah'nagl fhtagn", and I'm like "Dude, it's R'lyeh! R'lyeh! R'lyeh!"

Like he's ever going to come if you can't even pronounce his home town right.
posted by tkolar at 11:33 AM on July 10, 2008 [8 favorites]


We dont need your rules, Mr. Smartypant's college boy.
posted by bondcliff at 11:33 AM on July 10, 2008


Hey, even in his profile he's a pedantic asshole!

Also, it's not "Can I haz..." it's "I can haz..."
posted by kate blank at 11:34 AM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


This will not Wendell. I. Can't. Stand. It. When. People. Are. So. Condescending. And. Racist.

(Oh, and eponysterical "parenting" of us, Daddy-O)

I can haz some help annoying this guy, ya'all?

That is all.
posted by Stewriffic at 11:34 AM on July 10, 2008 [4 favorites]


Oooh, Kate, nice one. Same page.
posted by Stewriffic at 11:35 AM on July 10, 2008


I'd buy you a coke if you weren't so RACIST, Stewriffic.
posted by kate blank at 11:37 AM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


Imagine how bad misplaced apostrophe's would be if we all spoke with Phonetic Punctuation.
posted by sciurus at 11:37 AM on July 10, 2008


Their you go, glad to help!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
posted by amro at 11:39 AM on July 10, 2008


In the interest of efficiency I propose we pelt him with bottles of shit.

I like the way you think, man. '''''
posted by Mister_A at 11:41 AM on July 10, 2008


Oh, and you've got a weird definition of lurker, lurker.
posted by amro at 11:41 AM on July 10, 2008


Grocers Grocer's everywhere are up in arms' at being left out.

Fixed &c.

I mean, come on dude. How could you NOT?
posted by dersins at 11:41 AM on July 10, 2008


Oh, never mind desjardins, I thought Daddy-O said that.
posted by amro at 11:41 AM on July 10, 2008


Ive had enough of dersin's abuse.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:44 AM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


'
posted by burnmp3s at 11:46 AM on July 10, 2008


Thank you EVER so, Daddy-o! Now if I could just get rid of the grease stains on my whites!
posted by katillathehun at 11:51 AM on July 10, 2008


I need help with who, whose and who's.

And don't get me started with WHOIS.
posted by fijiwriter at 11:52 AM on July 10, 2008


I find it amusing that their example for rule 7 is incorrect.
posted by trip and a half at 11:54 AM on July 10, 2008


Oh wait no it isnt'.
posted by trip and a half at 11:54 AM on July 10, 2008


Thank you EVER so, Daddy-o! Now if I could just get rid of the grease stains on my whites!

RACISM!!!1111!!! Wise it gotta be "stain's" on you're "white's"????
posted by Mister_A at 11:55 AM on July 10, 2008


Maybe now we can move on to crucifying people that don't know the difference between lose, loose, loser and looser. I already have the nails and wood ...
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:56 AM on July 10, 2008 [4 favorites]


So what letters were removed from R'leyh? Or were they The Letters That Should Not Be Written?
posted by Pastabagel at 11:58 AM on July 10, 2008


HAVE WE BEEN TROLLED?
posted by sciurus at 12:00 PM on July 10, 2008


It sucks to be the wrong pedant in the front, but it's also bad to eb the one in the middle, trip and a half.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:02 PM on July 10, 2008


Meh, fail at preview. I had a whole nother think coming, I guess.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:04 PM on July 10, 2008


It is is not the possessive form of it.

I dont ge't i't.
posted by owtytrof at 12:04 PM on July 10, 2008


HAVE WE BEEN TROLLED?

For the benefit of our Cockney readers:

'ello, what's all this, then? 'ave we been troll'd?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:06 PM on July 10, 2008 [3 favorites]


'ello, what's all this, then, cunt? 'ave we been troll'd, you Twatty mcCUNTster?

There ya go.
posted by Stewriffic at 12:10 PM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


I still don't get it: Why is Tigh a cylon?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:10 PM on July 10, 2008


I THINK WE HAVE BEEN THE VICTIMS OF A DRIVE BY DICKING, BUT HEY, THAT'S COOL!
posted by Divine_Wino at 12:11 PM on July 10, 2008


Sooo...are we done here?
posted by danOstuporStar at 12:13 PM on July 10, 2008


jessamyn: "This is, as I have mentioned before, how I remember the difference"

That's nerdier than my method: I have to think "No pronoun possessives have apostrophes. All contractions do."
posted by Plutor at 12:15 PM on July 10, 2008


I'm glad we've had a nice, bracing discussion of cross-cultural difference in taboo words, but it might be nice to start holding off on randomly throwing "cunt" into any more unrelated threads just for effect, lest we perish in some metatalkian recursion this weekend.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:17 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


gamm'r nazi's dont know shi'ite.
posted by Dave Faris at 12:17 PM on July 10, 2008


*invites micro-Orwell into thread along with Tiny Carl Jung*
posted by sciurus at 12:18 PM on July 10, 2008



Things in MetaFilter that need to go away:

1. Recursion
posted by spicynuts at 12:25 PM on July 10, 2008


This is the kind of thing that gives editor's a bad name.
posted by scody at 12:27 PM on July 10, 2008


The apostrophe seems to trip up just about everyone, even many Mefites. For future reference, you may want to bookmark this site that gives the 13 rules for the use of the apostrophe.

I hope you stub your toe really, really hard today.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:27 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


(Though I am available for parties and baby showers to explain the use of the wily semicolon.)
posted by scody at 12:27 PM on July 10, 2008


God damn you, Alvy, for getting in the way of my parenthetical! God DAMN Ampersand!
posted by scody at 12:28 PM on July 10, 2008


HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:32 PM on July 10, 2008


Ouch, my toe!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:32 PM on July 10, 2008


This sentence exists just to peek your interest so you would click my link.

Peek? I hate these threads because I can never tell who's joking around and who is really making mistakes.
posted by stopgap at 12:35 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


Keep your apostrophe away from my colon: I hardly know you!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:35 PM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


Just follow languagehats rule: dont use any apostrophes at all. Its easy!
posted by languagehat at 12:38 PM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


Maybe now we can deal with the scourge that is the misuse of "loose" for "lose."
posted by Dave Faris at 12:49 PM on July 10, 2008 [4 favorites]


Like ''''loose colon''''?
posted by AwkwardPause at 12:53 PM on July 10, 2008


stopgap, we are all making a mistake in posting here.
posted by Mister_A at 12:54 PM on July 10, 2008


"Things in MetaFilter that need to go away:

1. Recursion"

2. Items on this list

Stopgap, thanks for reading my whole comment, title attribute and all.
posted by Eideteker at 12:58 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


Like ''''loose colon''''?

No need to drag two pairs of scare quotes into this.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:01 PM on July 10, 2008


A post trophy.
posted by Effigy2000 at 1:05 PM on July 10, 2008


As you may have guessed, I have nothing to add to this conversation.
posted by Effigy2000 at 1:06 PM on July 10, 2008


* sticks apostrophe in the mashed potatoes *
posted by everichon at 1:09 PM on July 10, 2008


Thanks for makin' it all boyzone in here, everichon. RACIST!
posted by Mister_A at 1:14 PM on July 10, 2008


Those were four apostrophes.
posted by AwkwardPause at 1:14 PM on July 10, 2008


What were for apostrophe's?
posted by Mister_A at 1:16 PM on July 10, 2008


This is why I only ever use inverted commas.
posted by Atom Eyes at 1:42 PM on July 10, 2008


I HATE RACES

cars, horses, dogs, Le Tour, they all bore the shit out me
posted by everichon at 2:00 PM on July 10, 2008


RACES'
posted by Artw at 2:01 PM on July 10, 2008



So what letters were removed from R'leyh? Or were they The Letters That Should Not Be Written?


It's actually a phonetic marking, but you have to have tentacles in your mouth to pronounce it correctly.
posted by tkolar at 2:03 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


The correct pronounciation is actually a modulated radio waveform in the 300 GHz range. Humans are weak.
posted by Artw at 2:09 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


Peek? I hate these threads because I can never tell who's joking around and who is really making mistakes.

Yeah, I couldn't decide how to respond to it, so I just giggled ambiguously and moved on.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:11 PM on July 10, 2008




I hate, hate, hate looking at a comment just after I hit post, but before the page reloads and noticing that I've fucked up a they're/ their or made an word unintentionally possessive by adding a superfluous apostrophe.

I swear that I check and then check again, but something about my stupid brain makes me blind to these things until I've hit 'Post Comment'. It drives me batty.
posted by quin at 3:03 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


But it gives someone the chance to prove how amazing they are by pointing out your mistake!
posted by Artw at 3:06 PM on July 10, 2008


Like an word?
posted by AwkwardPause at 3:16 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


Yes. Exactly like that. I was digging my nails in my palm as soon as I saw that.

It was just. as. I. hit. the. fucking. button.

*sigh*
posted by quin at 3:23 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


AwkwardPause wins 500 internet points!
posted by Artw at 3:33 PM on July 10, 2008


[thi's is good]
posted by emelenjr at 3:37 PM on July 10, 2008


THIS IS NOT 'NAM. THIS IS BOWLING. THERE ARE RULE'S.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:54 PM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


Tangent: apostrophies.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:00 PM on July 10, 2008


Yes, yes, but how do I use the Ass Pot Trophy?
posted by klangklangston at 4:08 PM on July 10, 2008


!'S'C'O'R'E'!
posted by AwkwardPause at 4:11 PM on July 10, 2008


Tangent: Apostroph'. Takeaway quote (read it and weep): "the apostrophe was originally, and thus properly, used in the plural."
posted by languagehat at 4:50 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]


I would like to hear what interrobang has to say about his fellow punctuation.
posted by infinitewindow at 5:14 PM on July 10, 2008


quin, please stop typing one word at a time like that. It's apparently annoying some members.
posted by yhbc at 6:48 PM on July 10, 2008


"Dude, it's R'lyeh! R'lyeh! R'lyeh!"

O r'lyeh?

Ya, r'lyeh!
posted by turgid dahlia at 7:53 PM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]


'There'\''s nothing to see here'
posted by flabdablet at 9:34 PM on July 10, 2008


'
posted by crossoverman at 10:53 PM on July 10, 2008


Hey Daddy-O, you missed an usage. When you have several awards from the American Psychological Society, you can cram them up your ass. Oh wait, you weren't talking about APOS trophies. Actually, your post didn't annoy me that much, I just like kicking someone when they are down.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:41 AM on July 11, 2008


Man, you say you have been lurking here since 2002 and you post this?

Were you having such a good day that you were worried the rest of your life would be a disappointment, so you decided to come in here for a good solid arse-kicking, just for balance?

Sheesh.
posted by dg at 2:00 AM on July 11, 2008


What's an apostrophe?
posted by electroboy at 8:38 AM on July 11, 2008 [1 favorite]


What's an apostrophe?

Someone have that man washed and shaved and put in front of a copy of Strunk & White.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:36 AM on July 11, 2008


Forget the apostrophe. If I see one more ad that says "For Sell" (or, um, on Craigslist: "needs sucked"), I'm going to respond and strangle the seller.
posted by troybob at 12:26 PM on July 11, 2008


Ever notice how amazing the word looks? Apostrophe.

And how fun it is it say?
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 2:21 PM on July 11, 2008


What might all this cacaphony be anastrophe surrounding?
posted by Eideteker at 5:43 AM on July 12, 2008


Ever notice how amazing the word looks? Apostrophe.

Meh.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:51 AM on July 12, 2008


Strunk & White? Is that some sort of euphemism? I'll politely decline.
posted by electroboy at 8:27 AM on July 14, 2008


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