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Article: You say St James', I say St James's. We are in a muddle over apostrophe s
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- September 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1996 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The novelist, playwright, journalist and self-appointed
custodian of the English language, Keith Waterhouse, claims to have
in his back garden an apostrophe incinerator.
"It is kept continually on the go," says Mr Waterhouse, who has
also appointed himself Life President of the Association of the
Annihilation of the Aberrant Apostrophe.
This weekend, flames will be leaping from the incinerator at
such a lick you might think it's Guy Fawkes' night, or you might
think it's Guy Fawkes's night, or if you really want to give Mr
Waterhouse apoplexy, you might think "its Guy Fawkes night".
The latest change in attitudes to the apostrophe, adding a
disturbing footnote to literary history, comes from ...