Saturday 8 April 2017

Apostrophe police

I heard on the radio about the self styled grammar vigilante in Bristol, England who has spent years changing offending shop signs in the dead of night, removing errant apostrophes and adding them where they are missing.   If he'd like to go international he might like to visit Waikiekie.  I have a little job for his 'apostrophiser' - said to be a broom handle laden with two sponges. 

I'd stopped short of this shed thinking now that I'm blogging regularly again I might re-join Tom, the Back Roads Traveller and his Barn Collective.


As I was driving on past it something caught my eye, a flash of white paint.  I thought it said SLOW.  I'd been following three young bucks on very loud and very fast motorbikes down the road.  I say I had been because they had quickly disappeared from sight somewhere near the brow of this hill.  Thinking the message was from an irate local towards noisy road-users, I was intrigued enough to stop and walk back for a closer look. 


It actually says, "Slow, watch for my cat's"  My cat's what I wondered?  The dreaded apostrophe strikes again.


Not far away, propped against a tree, right beside the road was a much quieter (and much older) bike.  I wonder what's the story behind its presence.


Waikiekie is an interesting place.

8 comments:

  1. I read about the guy changing the poor grammar signs. That is pretty funny!

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  2. It certainly is. I actually watched a YouTube of a news article about the chap going around correcting grammar. I had fun looking at your photos. Maybe you can make your own 'apostrophiser'- lol :)

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  3. I feel sorry for the poor person who felt the need to put that sign on the barn to tell those on the road to watch out for his cats! (I know the point of this was to show the unnecessary apostrophe but you see what I mean!)
    I also read about the man changing the signs, get it ship shape and Bristol fashion! LOL.

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  4. We could use some help with the grammar on signs here, too. And i'd love it if people would slow down in our neighborhood.

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  5. Or you could go back and write 'cat's what?' I love your photos...and got a chuckle out of this.

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  6. ...apostrophes and their use is misunderstood by many folks. By the way, who came up with some of these crazy English rules?

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  7. That's so funny! I must admit, things like that drive me crazy!

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  8. I have missed so much. I'm about to have a catch-up fest. This post is a good place to start with two subjects close to my heart: grammar and sheds.

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