Jessica writes:
I found this in a Coney Island tourist trap, and had a good laugh at the way it forbade playing with balls, then I noticed the apostrophe… Who is Ball and what of his should we not be playing with?
No! Playing with Ball’s
Follow Apostrophe Abuse
#1 by The Mulletin Board on September 2, 2008 - 9:20 pm
That’s what she said…
#2 by Anonymous on September 3, 2008 - 4:35 pm
not quite. It’s not that you can’t play with something that is Ball’s. The sign maker is refusing to do something (“no!”) because (s)he is playing with something that is Ball’s.
As in:
Q: “Would you like to go to the store with me.”
A” “No! [I'm] playing with Ball’s daughter.”
#3 by Blue on September 9, 2008 - 7:50 pm
I’m quite partial to the No! with the frowny face in the O, myself.