Thanks for the link Tommyrot. I'm embarking on a new push to finish writing my book and I'm ashamed to realize I routinely employ ALL those mistakes.
Good timing!
Joyce: You don't think it's too obvious? I think I look like I have a cat on my head. Buffy: But a very well groomed cat. Joyce: Well that's a comfort.
'Bring On The Night'
Natter 34: Freak With No Name
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
beekaytee - Apr 24, 2005 3:50:09 pm PDT #8595 of 10001
Compassionately intolerant
Emily - Apr 24, 2005 3:50:55 pm PDT #8596 of 10001
"In the equation E = mc⬧, c⬧ is a pretty big honking number." - Scola
Ooh! They're talking about the monkey-shit-coffee on CSI!
Susan W. - Apr 24, 2005 3:53:20 pm PDT #8597 of 10001
Good Trouble and Righteous Fights
I wonder if there are 3rd grade grammar teachers responsible for our difference in opinion.
Quite probably. I think I learned my way from Strunk & White, too, though I can't find my copy to prove it.
Nutty - Apr 24, 2005 3:57:35 pm PDT #8598 of 10001
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."
It could be worse; we could be British, and consequently perplexed by every plural noun and whether it needs an apostrophe. Hint: Jeffs means more than one Jeff, while Jeff's means belonging to Jeff. (I gather a lot of Brits, especially those who work in advertising, don't know that.)
Whereas, both Jeffs' and Jeffs's means belonging to more than one Jeff. (I think the typographical issue of single and double quote marks is what caused there to be two right answers. Unlike Cindy, I prefer Jeffs's because of its doubling-up: you can tell just by looking that it's both plural and possessive. Admittedly, it's clunky, but who doesn't love teh clunky??)
If Jeffs were a last name, it could be Jeffses' meaning belonging to more than one member of the Jeffs family. Just be glad I didn't start this discussion with the name Sassafras.
Not to confuse the issue too much.
sumi - Apr 24, 2005 4:05:21 pm PDT #8599 of 10001
Art Crawl!!!
Stuntcasting alert!
Next week's Cold Case has Barry Bostwick guest-starring in a murder case revolving around, you guessed it!
A midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show!
JenP - Apr 24, 2005 4:06:43 pm PDT #8600 of 10001
I haven't seen Cold Case, but I love that.
Susan W. - Apr 24, 2005 4:08:58 pm PDT #8601 of 10001
Good Trouble and Righteous Fights
Whereas, both Jeffs' and Jeffs's means belonging to more than one Jeff.
It does? I thought Jeffs' meant belonging to more than one Jeff, while Jeffs's meant belonging to one person who happened to be named Jeffs.
brenda m - Apr 24, 2005 4:11:25 pm PDT #8602 of 10001
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there
I'd have gone the same route as Susan. Also, how does being British affect it? (Unless I've just answered Susan's question right there.)
I'm having a dinner crisis. I have leftover chicken and broccoli enchiladas, and I really want to eat them, but I also really want to take them for lunch tomorrow. Not enough left to do both. Feh.
Nutty - Apr 24, 2005 4:15:35 pm PDT #8603 of 10001
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."
Brits add a lot of unnecessary apostrophes, or anyway do in their advertising and commercial signage.
I think Susan's question points to the fact that you may be named Jeffs, and own something; and you may be two people named Jeff, and own something; and both situations may use the same word. Can't they?
Aren't you glad now I didn't call him Sassafras? And gladder still that I used italics instead of quote marks, which was my original impulse.
Susan W. - Apr 24, 2005 4:18:08 pm PDT #8604 of 10001
Good Trouble and Righteous Fights
I think Susan's question points to the fact that you may be named Jeffs, and own something; and you may be two people named Jeff, and own something; and both situations may use the same word. Can't they?
Not the way I learned it. Which doesn't mean it's an absolute law, but if I wrote Jeffs', I'd absolutely mean belonging to two or more guys named Jeff, while Jeffs's would just as definitely mean belonging to one guy named Jeffs.