Posted by caraher on September 23, 2005, at 10:45:33
In reply to Re: apostrophe rule... » alexandra_k, posted by Gabbix2 on September 22, 2005, at 21:10:39
> The only time you need an apostrophe is to replace a missing letter, or to show ownership.
I have no source for this but it seems plausible...
The origin of 's to indicate ownership was as a contraction of "his" so "the cat's pajamas" is shorthand for something like "the cat - his pajamas."
And of course, you only need "his" if women don't own property ;)
poster:caraher
thread:558298
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050922/msgs/558470.html