Post AaeLLAV7SUZWHJwtxQ by pkrowiak@mastodon.online
(DIR) More posts by pkrowiak@mastodon.online
(DIR) Post #AadJRbOE0OjYLMhjWa by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-10T16:49:55Z
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I just came across a fabulous line from Carol Saller in a Chicago Manual of Style blog post about how to write "dos and don'ts":"The amount of head scratching needed to figure this out can't possibly be worth it." Chicago Style: dos and don'tsAP Style: do's and don'tsEats Shoots & Leaves: do's and don't's.
(DIR) Post #AadJhVuEA6CFy9GDIW by SergKoren@writing.exchange
2023-10-10T16:52:49Z
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@grammargirl My two centavos. Dos is plural. So is don’ts, but it is a contraction. Therefore (or five) “dos and dont’s” and mares eat ivy.
(DIR) Post #AadJi7xkfRaw05CZ4C by mhthaung@mastodon.scot
2023-10-10T16:52:57Z
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@grammargirl I'd proabably dodge it and end up with "things to do and things not to do". 😳
(DIR) Post #AadK4WGWzTLFkGfA2a by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-10T16:56:55Z
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@Ronnie I use "dos and don'ts." https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/grammar-girl-style-guide/
(DIR) Post #AadK4xTZp4ou8XySci by alexhall@mastodon.social
2023-10-10T16:57:03Z
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@grammargirl I don't like the apostrophes, because they're not indicating ownership or missing letters. Dos and don'ts seems best. At the same time, my screen reader pronounces "dos" like the old operating system, so listening to the words, "do's" sounds better. "Don't's" just feels completely wrong on every level. Despite the odd pronunciation, I'm choosing to think that the Chicago style is right.
(DIR) Post #AadKDrq09gkLFwiADI by drahardja@sfba.social
2023-10-10T16:58:31Z
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@grammargirl @Ronnie Yay, same.
(DIR) Post #AadKhFxRYZIeSeCplo by abdalian@lingo.lol
2023-10-10T17:03:58Z
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@grammargirl time for a personal preference poll on this, I think!If I had to order them, it would be AP >> Chicago = ES&L
(DIR) Post #AadMyUJVdPc1ofs5nk by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-10T17:29:26Z
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@alexhall The screen reader angle is something I wouldn't have considered! That could make me change my preference.I'm curious why you prefer "dos and don'ts" since the other form works better for you.
(DIR) Post #AadN39EtPsddu2vzEG by bodhipaksa@mastodon.scot
2023-10-10T17:13:47Z
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@alexhall @grammargirl I've come to think that apostrophes have a legitimate role in clarifying certain plurals. • There are two e's in 'elite.' • There are two es in 'elite.' One of those is clearer than the other.I've come across other instances as well, such as when text has to be in all text (in certain headings or in technical drawings), where plurals are very confusing without an apostrophe: Creating clarity is what grammar rules are about, after all.
(DIR) Post #AadN3A16WdCeJZUUNM by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-10T17:30:16Z
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@bodhipaksa @alexhall Most style guides recommend using an apostrophe for the plural of single letters most of the time. (Chicago doesn't use them for letter grades.)
(DIR) Post #AadNF8e5RvGjXLR69Y by swelljoe@mas.to
2023-10-10T17:32:30Z
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@grammargirl Chicago and Eats are at least consistent. AP seems righter to my eye, but my brain is itching at the inconsistency of one s having an apostrophe and the other lacking it.
(DIR) Post #AadNN3ifeFgAZkMBxw by alexhall@mastodon.social
2023-10-10T17:33:54Z
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@grammargirl I consume 95% of text through synthesized, speech (5% through braille). I'm very used to mentally auto-correcting things. You know when Siri/Google Assistant/Alexa says a name wrong, or pronounces words oddly? That happens all the time. "does", "subject", and plenty of other words have two pronunciations, and speech synths can only do so much. My preference here is due to the apostrophe. I was always told apostrophes are ONLY for ownership and missing letters.
(DIR) Post #AadNUxqPNN1AfdkI3U by alexhall@mastodon.social
2023-10-10T17:35:19Z
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@grammargirl @bodhipaksa Really? I didn't know that.
(DIR) Post #AadOHHJ0K4T6vd9uwC by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-10T17:44:06Z
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@alexhall Yup! "Mind your p's and q's," for example, uses the apostrophes. I believe the rule is largely for the reason @bodhipaksa noted: it's too confusing when you want to talk about multiple a's and i's, which could be words without the apostrophe.
(DIR) Post #AadOKoX5F2rAqiQkmu by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-10T17:44:40Z
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@alexhall Thanks for the perspective!
(DIR) Post #AadOOrHqwWoUYAEdOa by alexhall@mastodon.social
2023-10-10T17:45:27Z
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@grammargirl @bodhipaksa Interesting. I always capitalized them (Ps and Qs). I didn't realize the apostrophe was officially allowed in that sort of case.
(DIR) Post #AadQsLuWMbz7plVsoq by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-10-10T18:13:13Z
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@alexhall @bodhipaksa I used to capitalize them. Different style guides also make difference recommendations about capitalizing single letters.
(DIR) Post #Aadgm1MVRsSPdHbdGy by cswalker21@mastodon.online
2023-10-10T21:11:21Z
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@grammargirl wait, Lynne Truss recommending plural apostrophes? Is that for real? She’s the reason I feel physical discomfort every time I encounter one in the wild. 😂
(DIR) Post #AaeLLAV7SUZWHJwtxQ by pkrowiak@mastodon.online
2023-10-11T04:45:54Z
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@grammargirl Given my background, I default to AP. My thinking in sticking with it is that the apostrophe on “do’s” gives a reader pause to know that it means that. All of them are weird. Recast is probably best, since it’s a cliche anyway.