Here is a message just posted on a FB group in my home town. I wonder why half the plurals are ok while the other half have unnecessary apostrophes.

“ Does anyone have any China tea/dinner sets or odd cup’s saucer’s, side plates, teapots, milk jug’s, sugar bowls that you are willing to donate to us for a Vintage afternoon tea. We will collect. Many thanks xx”

Apostrophes have become malignant. Ironic that the word is dervied from the Greek word for "turning away," since current usage turns away from traditional usage.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Geoff,

I am thinking of developing a very useful app. It works like this... every time you type a word that ends with "s" it randomly chooses to insert an apostrophe before it or to leave out the apostrophe. Like this...

It was the best of times, it wa's the worst of time's. It wa's the age of wisdom, It was the age of foolishnes's. We had everything before us we had nothing before u's.

(App simulated by flipping a coin.)

Could be more successful than wordle! Then I could sell it to the NYT.

What is it about apostrophes that so many get them wrong? I don't get it.

[The ironic thing is that when I first wrote "apostrophes" above, I put an apostrophe after the e. ]

Along with that, I work with someone who can't distinguish between a semi-colon and a colon. She'll write:

The following are the winners;
- Kalleh
- Bob
- Geoff