We live in a city whose name in the plural has leant itself to a particular part of the female anatomy. So when a vital apostrophe is missed out, it can lead to some interesting interpretations of meaning. I spotted the example below hanging up outside the Brass Pig on the Clifton Triangle.
Why nobody checks these sort of things before they go to print, especially when this size and prominence, is beyond me. It is also baffling that nobody in the sign business seems to know the correct usage of apostrophes.
The example at the Brass Pig is the opposite of a greengrocer’s apostrophe, where an apostrophe is erroneously inserted before the last ‘s’ of a word.
But the non-appearance of a necessary apostrophe is nowadays just as common an offence as the erroneous insertion of an unnecessary apostrophe.
If you have seen any particularly alarming examples of the apostrophe, or lack of, to do with Bristol, please send photographic evidence our way to bristolculture@gmail.com.
There is a sandwich shop that opened and closed in less time than it takes a loaf of bread to go stale on Whiteladies Road, opposite the Picture House, which was called Flavour’s and the sign is still there, annoying the hell out of me every time I go past.
The place is full of these howlers, and with all the out of work journalists in this city you’d think there would be a gap in the market for sign writers who can spell…..grumble grumble….
One can only imagine the types of business that would consider the Brass Pig as a premier meeting venue!
That is pretty stupid but I love The Brass Pig!