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hannah, tyke

I think of gumption = nous, used in the North of England, dont know about the South.

Hannah

Nice to see you posting again on this thread

A few random observations I made this morning.

I remember the shellac 78 records but I hadn't come across "to shellac somebody" until today. Apparently it's American slang meaning to defeat someone. Do we really need to import that usage?

Then on Radio 3 today I heard about the Moog synthesizer with Moog sounding like a cow. It's a common error but it should rhyme with vogue.

Finally Hilaire Belloc. I remember attending a school assembly about this woman. Only trouble is, as I'm sure you all know, she was a he. A venal sin, though, is to drop the H from his first name, but it is pronounced and he always did so himself. On Radio 3 it was dropped the first time and sounded the second, so all is forgiven.

Have a nice day, all of you, and don't get too wet!

Might I be allowed to offer my observation on the old chestnut that is the position of the apostrophe?
It seems to me that many of the errors arise from schoolchildren being told that there are 2 options: apostrophe S, and S apostrophe.
Surely there is only the former - ‘S to denote ownership. However, if the word (to which ownership is to be ascribed) already ends in an S, (as happens with feminine forms, most plurals, a few proper names etc) it looks odd with S’S, and is harder to pronounce, so the S (of ‘S) is dispensed with.
It really doesn’t make the notation S’. Eg the ladies’ bags was never “ ladie” with S’, but ladies with ‘s, and then with the second S removed to avoid S’S.

I agree with you, tonta, although if I say James' book, it sometimes doesn't seem enough and so I am likely to say James's book. It is an old chestnut, as you say, and unlikely ever to go away until the apostrophe is abolished!

Orson

I`ve heard `a shellacking` being used to mean a good drubbing, but not so much nowadays

Tonta & Orson

St James` Park (Newcastle) always seems to be pronounced St James`s, which is how the London one is written - no wonder there is confusion!

Malone

Nice to see one of your favourite words, b'o's'u'n, in the Times today.

Grunger, I too spotted that this morning! Doesn't it look so much nicer without all the pesky apostrophes?

Malone

Yes it does. It was lovely to see the full word.

Grunger, thanks. I suppose the only problem with the word is the pronunciation - I'm sure my children (and probably my mother!) would have gone around saying 'Boat's wain'. That's logical, of course!

Malone

I used to pronounce it - "Boat Swain", i.e. someone who swains boats, although I have never heard of swain being used as a verb, only in the "lover" sense.

I have tried to imagine how you might swain a boat or a cox, without success unfortunately.