Comments on: BYU Is Apostrophizing Again

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:42:45 +0000

When we come across excessive apostrophe usage, Mom likes to tell me about you protesting over-users by signing everything as Ardi’s. Do you still do that?

By: The Right Trousers

The Right Trousers — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:48:58 +0000

I think it’s…

“I” before “E” except after “C”
And when sounding like “A”
As in neighbor and weigh
And on weekends and holidays
And all throughout May
And you’ll always be wrong
No matter what you say!

I can’t claim credit for this. It’s from Brian Regan.

Yes, my kids will know this version.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:40:50 +0000

given the year around at the university? That’s odd. My wife agrees.

I actually have been at a rodeo. I used to live in Texas long long ago, and I went to a rodeo once.

But I could be wrong. After all, my bachelor’s is from BYU. What do I know about grammar?

By: Hunter

Hunter — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:07:17 +0000

Ardis, you said:

I always get a wicked sense of pleasure from typing “cant” and “wont” in their less common senses (not contractions, that is) without an apostrophe.

You do know that this comment alone qualifies you for induction into the Nerd Hall of Fame, right? I’m not pointing fingers — when I was in law school, some of my classmates elected me a member of the little-known fraternity “Phi Kappa Nerda.”

By: Coffinberry

Coffinberry — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:03:44 +0000

Hm. I didn’t think the structure was all that odd. Poetic, maybe. But back then, weren’t all abbreviated words possessed of an apostrophe? e.g. Hallowe’en. (But, then, I’m a BYU grad, so what can I say?)

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:42 +0000

Dan, I’d think that a leftist like you would appreciate an apostrophe at the left end of a word.

But that’s not “another wrong apostrophe.”

It properly shows the dropping of the letter “a” from “around.”

Next thing, you’ll tell us you’ve never seen a rodeo and don’t know what a “go ’round” is.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:15:09 +0000

problem is that there is another wrong apostrophe in the piece.

“Life at It’s Best”, too, is found in the rich educational opportunities given the year ’round at the Church university.

year ’round? The sentence is oddly structured too. Read it out loud.

By: S.Faux

S.Faux — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:20:41 +0000

For those interested, I have improved on my pseudo-poem in #8, and I have posted it at the BOTTOM of my blog under the title: "The Evolution of Bad Writing."

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:03:35 +0000

“… and except seize and seizure,
And also leisure,
Weird, height and either,
Forfeit, their, neither.
And financier.
And as Bookslinger notes, society.
And probably so many other exceptions as to make the rhyme almost useless.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:01:36 +0000

It’s too esoteric for S.Faux’s list, but I always get a wicked sense of pleasure from typing “cant” and “wont” in their less common senses (not contractions, that is) without an apostrophe.