Comments on: Mind Your Ps And Qs Or Your P’s And Q’s? http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html Links and visuals illustrating an orthographic pet peeve. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:35:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-4175 Anonymous Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:43:51 +0000 http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-4175 "There may be a general tendency to move away from the use of apostrophe's in forming plurals for words ending in s."<br /><br />Huh? When did a mere plural, ending in 's' require an apostrophe? "There may be a general tendency to move away from the use of apostrophe's in forming plurals for words ending in s."

Huh? When did a mere plural, ending in 's' require an apostrophe?

]]> By: T.W. http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2336 T.W. Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:16:00 +0000 http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2336 As has been pointed out, there <i>is</i> no definitive answer. It depends on what style guide you follow. <br/><br/>There may be a general tendency to move away from the use of apostrophe's in forming plurals for words ending in <i>s</i>. <br/><br/>T.W.<br/><br/>PS. <i>Apostrophe's</i> was a little joke. As has been pointed out, there is no definitive answer. It depends on what style guide you follow.

There may be a general tendency to move away from the use of apostrophe’s in forming plurals for words ending in s.

T.W.

PS. Apostrophe’s was a little joke.

]]> By: sepdet http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2283 sepdet Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:11:00 +0000 http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2283 This is much too late to help, but since your blog comes up fairly high on Googling for "Apostrophe Abuse", here goes. <br/><br/>The <i>MLA Style Manual</i> for academic writing, used as the standard reference in psychology and several other fields, says:<br/><br/>A principle function of apostrophes is to indicate possession. They are also used to form contractions (<i>can't, wouldn't</i>), which are rarely acceptable in scholarly writing, and the plurals of the letters of the alphabet (<i>p's and q's, three A's</i>). § 3.4.7<br/><br/>On the other hand, MLA style forbids apostrophes in the plurals of acronyms like "CDs" and dates like "the 60s". <br/><br/>(I just violated MLA style there -- it would have us put punctuation inside quotation marks even in phrases in which there's no logical reason for internal punctuation. Apparently my tastes are British, since that drives me NUTS.) <br/> <br/><i>The Columbia Manual of Style</i> says apostrophes are <i>sometimes</i> used with digits and letters of the alphabet to indicate a plural (<a HREF="http://www.bartleby.com/68/58/458.html" REL="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Reference</a>).<br/><br/>Apparently the CMS is diametrically opposed to MLA on this issue. <br/><br/>So the answer is: unfortunately, in this one case, it varies, so you should simply be consistent.<br/><br/>I wrote a webpage on <a HREF="http://www.squidoo.com/apostrophe" REL="nofollow" rel="nofollow">The Care and Feeding of Apostrophes</a> that may help teach some students proper apostrophe usage and (more importantly) convince them that it really matters. This one rule, however, I skipped, since there's disagreement about it. I think I covered everything else. This is much too late to help, but since your blog comes up fairly high on Googling for “Apostrophe Abuse”, here goes.

The MLA Style Manual for academic writing, used as the standard reference in psychology and several other fields, says:

A principle function of apostrophes is to indicate possession. They are also used to form contractions (can’t, wouldn’t), which are rarely acceptable in scholarly writing, and the plurals of the letters of the alphabet (p’s and q’s, three A’s). § 3.4.7

On the other hand, MLA style forbids apostrophes in the plurals of acronyms like “CDs” and dates like “the 60s”.

(I just violated MLA style there — it would have us put punctuation inside quotation marks even in phrases in which there’s no logical reason for internal punctuation. Apparently my tastes are British, since that drives me NUTS.)

The Columbia Manual of Style says apostrophes are sometimes used with digits and letters of the alphabet to indicate a plural (Reference).

Apparently the CMS is diametrically opposed to MLA on this issue.

So the answer is: unfortunately, in this one case, it varies, so you should simply be consistent.

I wrote a webpage on The Care and Feeding of Apostrophes that may help teach some students proper apostrophe usage and (more importantly) convince them that it really matters. This one rule, however, I skipped, since there’s disagreement about it. I think I covered everything else.

]]> By: geyser http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2218 geyser Mon, 04 Dec 2006 15:08:00 +0000 http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2218 "There are four S's in Mississipi"<br/>And two P's, then. ^^ “There are four S’s in Mississipi”
And two P’s, then. ^^

]]> By: Gemma http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2211 Gemma Sat, 15 Jul 2006 01:34:00 +0000 http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2211 According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it's correct to use an apostrophe to indicate plurals of alphanumeric characters, e.g. "There are four S's in Mississipi". According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it’s correct to use an apostrophe to indicate plurals of alphanumeric characters, e.g. “There are four S’s in Mississipi”.

]]> By: Dana Huff http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2205 Dana Huff Fri, 12 May 2006 21:21:00 +0000 http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2205 Warriner's (the old green grammar book) says to use the apostrophe Warriner’s (the old green grammar book) says to use the apostrophe

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2204 Anonymous Thu, 11 May 2006 16:36:00 +0000 http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2204 One could contend that Q's is a contraction.... One could contend that Q’s is a contraction….

]]> By: Chris http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2203 Chris Tue, 09 May 2006 20:14:00 +0000 http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2203 I'm also a fan of leaving them out unless it causes confusion.<br/><br/>Also, here a link for anyone who is wondering about the origin of "mind your Ps and Qs":<br/>http://ask.yahoo.com/20031127.html I’m also a fan of leaving them out unless it causes confusion.

Also, here a link for anyone who is wondering about the origin of “mind your Ps and Qs”:
http://ask.yahoo.com/20031127.html

]]> By: Karen http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2202 Karen Tue, 09 May 2006 19:56:00 +0000 http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2202 I'm a copyeditor, and I follow the Chicago Manual of Style whenever possible. It says, "Capital letters used as words ... form the plural by adding s" (example: the three Rs), but "To avoid confusion, lowercase letters ... form the plural with an apostrophe and an s" (example: x's and y's).<br/><br/>So "Lady Qs" it is! I’m a copyeditor, and I follow the Chicago Manual of Style whenever possible. It says, “Capital letters used as words … form the plural by adding s” (example: the three Rs), but “To avoid confusion, lowercase letters … form the plural with an apostrophe and an s” (example: x’s and y’s).

So “Lady Qs” it is!

]]> By: Amber http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2201 Amber Tue, 09 May 2006 19:10:00 +0000 http://www.apostropheabuse.com/2006/05/mind-your-ps-and-qs-or-your-ps-and-qs.html#comment-2201 Not sure if any of us is an authority, but I'd say there should not be an apostrophe. Not sure if any of us is an authority, but I’d say there should not be an apostrophe.

]]>