'Punctuation hero' branded a vandal for painting apostrophes on street signs

[Liberal_in_LA]

'Punctuation hero' branded a vandal for painting apostrophes on street signs



By Colin Fernandez
Last updated at 9:59 PM on 18th August 2009

After enduring sloppy punctuation on the street sign outside his home for more than a year, Stefan Gatward could stand it no longer.

The 62-year-old former soldier decided to launch a one-man crusade against 'dumbed down' Britain, and picked up a paintbrush to insert a missing apostrophe.

This turned the incorrect St Johns Close into the correct St John's Close.
Apostrophe Now: Stefan Gatward makes the change to the sign for St John's Close

Apostrophe catastrophe: Stefan Gatward makes the change to the sign for St John's Close in Tunbridge Wells

But he was immediately accused of being a vandal by one neighbour, and his amendments have been scratched off by others who apparently prefer the wrong version.

The 62-year-old's defence of the apostrophe comes after Birmingham council announced it would scrap the punctuation from council signs for the sake of 'simplicity'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1207301/Punctuation-hero-branded-vandal-inserting-apostrophes-street-signs.html#ixzz0Oacd2MNY

[Poll_Blind]

1. I've heard of grammar nazis before...but does this make him a Grammar Guerilla?

And why does that sound like a character off a children's show?

PB

[Canuckistanian]

2. I salute apostrophe warriors whereever they do battle

:patriot: < (imagine Union Jack here)

[stevedeshazer]

3. As far as I'm concerned, the guy is a hero.

Definitely not a vandal.

[valerief]

4. I LOVE this guy!!!!! We're all guilty of omitting words or messing up

punctuation in our quick emails or posts, but well-crafted signs should not be that shoddy. It's a pet peeve of mine, too.

I hate '10 items or less' too!

[DBoon]

5. Eats, shoots, and leaves

the mark of the punctuation ninja

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. Extra apostrophes are the threat. Here there is a sign for "blueberrie's" n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. Blueberrie's. Yum!

[MorningGlow]

7. On this side of the pond

an apostrophe crusader would spend all his time REMOVING ill-placed apostrophes, like on people's house signs: "The Smith's". UGH that's a pet peeve of mind. x(

I'd also go for wiping out the overused hyphen while we're at it. "Thank-you." :puke:

[progressoid]

9. "others who apparently prefer the wrong version."

Probably Republicans.

[fishwax]

10. It's standard in most English-speaking countries to omit possessive apostrophes in geographic names

The United Kingdom, I understand, is something of an exception, though it's trending towards dropping the apostrophe.