|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
Your post about the much-needed apostrophe after "Teachers" has lost its subject line. I read it and was going to respond but the board went into its meltdown mode and I couldn't access it any more. Anyway, please go to the edit icon and give it a title, so it's clickable again. Meanwhile, these folks would surely sympathize with you, as do I: http://www.apostrophe.fsnet.co.uk/
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 176
member
|
|
member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 176 |
AnnaStrophic,
Thank you for the link.
My first dear, departed post appears to have been stinking up the place, so I decided to toss it out. I tried to delete it entirely, but the system wouldn’t allow me to do that. I deleted the title and the text hoping that would remove it from view. But, of course, that didn’t work either. Instead, it left something of an annoying mystery to those who see its empty parking space with the name “Dgeigh” painted on the curb – not what I was hoping for. I’ve tried to find a way back to it to reinstate it, but the parking space is all I can find: no title, no text, no dice.
I found a copy of the original text though. If you would like to see it again, here it is:
Submitted for Your Arbitration
Hello! This is the first time I've posted anything on this site, so I hope my thoughts are in the right spirit.
I belong to a local credit union named "[City Name] Area Teachers Credit Union", a name that has always annoyed me. It is my contention that there is an apostrophe missing from the name after the "s" in "Teachers". It also seems to me that the truant apostrophe puts the term "teacher" in a bad light, casting serious doubt on the qualifications of the teachers who are members.
Years ago I used to work at the credit union, and would, on occasion bring up the topic of the missing apostrophe. One wouldn't think that a humble apostrophe could kill a conversation quite so quickly - blank stares all around.
Your thoughts?
Apropos - and this may be kicking a dead dog, so to speak, but - the credit union also proudly advertises that it offers "Safety Deposit Boxes". What exactly is a "safety" deposit box? Is it anything like a "safe" deposit box? Or is it more like a "safety" pin?
I know, I know: descriptive vs. prescriptive (and if it weren't for the word "Teachers" in the credit union's name it wouldn't be so annoying), but one would think that the good-business side of a financial institution, trying to represent itself and its customers (educators) in the best way possible, would try to adhere to the prescriptive use of the language rather than the descriptive use, a use that borders on the colloquial.
Thoughts?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
Prescriptive is good.
On the subject of the missing apostrophe, I have two contributions:
1. Have you yet read Eats, Shoots and Leaves? If not, you ought.
2. Will you please join me in being as exercised about church names like Saint Johns rather than Saint John's and All Saints rather than All Saints'?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
>Prescriptive is good.
Didn't your role model say something like "judge not, lest ye be judged"? (Sorry about the irony excess there)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
Didn't your role model say something like "judge not, lest ye be judged"?
Quite right! This is as good an example as any of why the Scriptures ought not be read in a literalistic way, especially out of context.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 176
member
|
|
member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 176 |
Yes, I suppose prescriptivism is something of a cross to bear – “glass houses” and all that – but I think it does have its place in trying to correct the obvious misusage of a word through unfortunate ignorance, and keep that misusage out the authoritative representatives of the words of our language, i.e. dictionaries.
If everyone were to apply the “judge not” argument to language, reductio ad absurdum, there would be no language. There would be no agreement on the meaning, form, or spelling of words, and no agreement on rules or conventions. People would utter whatever they chose, and no one would understand them.
On the other hand, having written all of the above, I do not advocate prescriptivism being taken to the point of restricting creativity, or bringing our language to a stagnant halt.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
People would utter whatever they chose, and no one would understand them.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
Why me? I edited a word(s) for clarity  in my previous response and it took a huge bite out of my post, leaving nothing but... Dgeigh - If you have the auto-emailed version of the reply (if you have that function turned on) would you repost it? Thanks in advance... and "C'est la vie" if you don't.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
In reply to:
Why me?
Don't sweat it, musick, you probably just posted something that triggered a flag with your beloved heimatsicherheitsabteilung. The whole world is Unca Tom's cabin, doncha know.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
You go Dgeigh! You're absolutely right! The no-apostrophe error would irk me too.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,398
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
1,017
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
