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From: ken@ihuxq.UUCP (ken perlow)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Chris's Major Conniption
Message-ID: <1271@ihuxq.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 6-Oct-84 23:19:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxq.1271
Posted: Sat Oct  6 23:19:07 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 9-Oct-84 19:47:35 EDT
References: <605@trwspp.UUCP>, <826@dual.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 49

--
>> => 	The apostrophe is used to separate the word from its "s."
>> => This is correct usage - often seen in words such as "IC's," and so
>> => on.  I have only seen it used when the word to be pluralized is an
>> => abbreviation or acronym.  If you're going to be one of the types of
>> => people that the author of the original article was flaming about,
>> => please be sure to be correct.

>> => 	Lastly, there are a lot of accepted standards on the net...

>> => 				-- Chris


>> In what English text did you learn the word "lastly?"  I think you
>> just *adverbialized* an adverb...

>> I'd be delighted to correct.  This is *incorrect* usage.  For the
>> moment, take my word for it, but I'll go find a few of my English
>> books while you're loading your napalm.  The apostrophe may be used
>> (legally) only in contractions or possessives, e.g., Chris's mind
>> is going to the dogs.  We can't stop it no matter what we try.
>> Anyone who refers to multiple integrated circuits as "IC's" is making
>> a gross error.  Tell 'em *I* said so.

>> Your friend,
>> Helen Anne

Maybe you say so, but you're wrong-o!  Such Victorian stodginess about
so fluid a thing as language is silly.  I know your kind, Helen.  You
think grammar is a set of arbitrary rules that one memorizes and uses
inflexibly.  But you didn't even do that well--there is such a word as
"lastly", not even "obs." or "coloq."  It's a perfectly acceptable
English word.  And "IC's" is OK too.  Really.

If you were ever to do any serious writing, you'd know that manuals of
style disagree on numerous points, especially in the punctuation sense.
The most recent proponent of the apostrophe for plural acronyms is
William Safire, in an "On Language" column in the Times Magazine last
month.  Read him sometime, Helen.  Or don't you love language?  I
guess you don't, since for you it's just a jumble of immutable rules.
There are rules, but they are a window on the mind--grammar reflects
orderly thought, and thus it lives and breathes.
-- 
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