Language Matters
The Greengrocer’s
Apostrophe
What is the Greengrocer’s Apostrophe?
Credit: Juliet Fay
The Grocer’s Apostrophe is the little, suspended
comma that mysteriously appears on signs, typically
in green grocers’ shops. It shows up when
vegetables go plural. One apple; many apple’s.
It was named for the greengrocers who brought it
into common usage. You’ll find plenty of examples
of the Grocer’s Apostrophe along the racks of
beautiful fruit and vegetables. Look out for: potato’s,
tomatoe’s, cauli’s, carrot’s, banana’s and more.
It might be more accurate to call it a Grocers’
Apostrophe unless the offence is only ever
committed by one grocer.
Ommission of apostrophes: In the UK there is a
tendency to drop apostrophes in many commonly
used names such as St Annes, St Johns Lane and
so on. UK supermarket chain Tesco omits the mark
where standard practice would require it. Signs in
Tesco advertise (among other items) “mens
magazines”, “girls toys”, “kids books” and “womens
shoes”. In his book Troublesome Words, author Bill
Bryson lambastes Tesco for this, stating that “the
mistake is inexcusable, and those who make it are
linguistic Neanderthals.”
Credit: Wikipedia
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The Greengrocer’s Apostrophe
What is the Grocer’s Apostrophe? Credit: Juliet Fay
The Grocer’s Apostrophe is the little, suspended comma that
mysteriously appears on signs, typically in green grocers’ shops. It
shows up when vegetables go plural. One apple; many apple’s.
It was named for the greengrocers who brought it into common usage.
You’ll find plenty of examples of the Grocer’s Apostrophe along the
racks of beautiful fruit and vegetables. Look out for: potato’s,
tomatoe’s, cauli’s, carrot’s, banana’s and more.
It might be more accurate to call it a Grocers’ Apostrophe unless the
offence is only ever committed by one grocer.
Ommission of apostrophes: In
the UK there is a tendency to
drop apostrophes in many commonly used names such as St Annes, St Johns Lane and so on.
UK supermarket chain Tesco omits the mark where standard practice would require it. Signs in
Tesco advertise (among other items) “mens magazines”, “girls toys”, “kids books” and “womens
shoes”. In his book Troublesome Words, author Bill Bryson lambastes Tesco for this, stating that
“the mistake is inexcusable, and those who make it are linguistic Neanderthals.”
Credit: Wikipedia
