Wednesday 5 April 2017

The Apostrophiser - a new kind of superhero...

As a general rule I'm not an advocate of vigilantism.  However, when it comes to the grammar vigilante roaming the streets of Bristol - The Apostrophiser - I think he's got a point, but maybe not the best superhero name or power.

In case you're unfamiliar with the story, this chap alters signs on shops etc and corrects crimes against grammar and punctuation.

One particular example - Amys Nail's - I thought was beyond redemption.  But no, he took his trusty apostrophe-altering gadget and added in the correct one whilst removing the rogue item, thus transforming it into the far more appealing Amy's Nails.

With admirable attention to detail, he even colour matches the patches used to mask the unwanted punctuation marks, so it's not really criminal damage either is it?

He's been labelled the Banksy of grammar, mainly because his identity remains a secret to all but close members of his family.  I think he probably had to tell them what was going on, as I'd have been a bit suspicious too if my husband kept disappearing during the night carrying a large wooden pole and a trestle table.

When you think about it, as I have at length, it's a form of art - he's taking an ugly, grammatically incorrect eyesore which causes people like him and me physical pain, and makes it all better, literally by sticking a band-aid on it.

Yes, time to come clean - I too suffer from this affliction, and have the urge to correct crimes against the English language wherever I see them.  I draw the line at roaming the streets at night, however; I'm obviously not that committed.

It does make walking around a traditional market virtually impossible though, as I just can't stand all the signs reading 'tomato's, potato's' and the like.  Similarly, some of the English I see on websites also makes me cringe - does nobody proof-read anything anymore?

I just hope that The Apostrophiser isn't on social media - some of the misuses of grammar and punctuation on there are beyond even his superpowers!



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