on a totally different topic...

[winterbadger]

As I go back to my regular lunchtime reading (COIN articles)...

One of the reasons that the "grocer's comma" has the ability to drive me RIGHT up the wall is the totally random way it's applied. The canteen at work has a sign up saying that "Pizza's" are the special today. One of my gaming friends posted an email the other day in which he praised the way the "Prussian's" had triumphed in a recent wargame. In this article, the author is remarking that "[When placed under a certain set of constraints], commander's developed a task organization of [two types of] soldiers to fulfill their information requirements."

Why "commander's" but not "soldier's" or "requirement's"? The sheer illogic of it is enough to drive me mad.

Comments

[tylluan-wen.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of "grocer's comma" before, but this practice drives me crazy.

[ticktockmary.livejournal.com]

http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif

[schizokitty.livejournal.com]

It seemed to me that it used to be used primarily for words ending in vowels or for acronyms ("How many CD's do you have?"), but you're right: it sure is looking to be simply random nowadays. I'm guessing that no one is sure any more, so they're using both the comma-plural and the real plural just to make sure something's right. :-P

[schizokitty.livejournal.com]

Nice!

[winterbadger]

It's been used for some time for referring to years (e.g., "the 1990's"), which is just as wrong.

they're using both the comma-plural and the real plural just to make sure something's right

I think it's probably something like that. The same way that idiots use "I" and "we" when they should use "me" and "us" but they don't want to sound "ignernt".

People, if you don't know which one is right, LEARN!

*grumble, grumble* Stupid morans.

[cmlc.livejournal.com]

(from Dave Henniker's photo site)

[winterbadger]

Oh my lord!