Officials at a Mid Devon Council had no idea what they were letting themselves in for when they decided to take the apostrophes out of the local road signs. They believed that the move would help to avoid confusion and make things easier. How could they have known that their actions would turn the locals on them to such a degree that one would even accuse them of “murdering” his beloved punctuation?
A spokesman for the Plain English Campaign, said: “It is as if the council is saying it simply doesn’t fancy apostrophes now.”
He then raised a more serious and dangerous issue: “What if they don’t like commas or full stops or capital letters? There is no need to murder the apostrophe, it is very much needed in the English language.”
A proof reader from Ashburton and fellow campaigner, understands how people may view these punctuation nerds. “Some may say I should get a life and get out more,” she said, “but if I got out more and saw place names with no apostrophes where there should be, I shudder to think how I’d react.”
The founder and chairman of the Apostrophe Protection Society, said: “It is appalling, disgusting and pointless, they have no regard for the English language.
“Throughout the area, teachers are doing their best to teach children grammar and the children have the right to say ‘why bother?’ when the council doesn’t use apostrophes.
“The council is just being contemptuous of the English language.”
I completely agree; its atrocious.
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