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At Least Two Apostrophes Or Your Money Back

A list of 61 words by bilby.

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double twubble ... or more!

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  • bilby Was he/she a witch? Dec 29, 2008

  • janusword how 'bout nu'kwa'la'titl? (they burned him/her) Dec 29, 2008

  • whichbe u'pik'ayap'ona Dec 19, 2008

  • rajington ya'll'dn't've'd (you all would not have had) this discussion without wordie Oct 5, 2008

  • whichbe N'ev'e Aug 29, 2008

  • bilby It's probably for the ring'a'ring'a'rosy team ;-) Jul 23, 2008

  • sarra Oh dear. Not a suggested addition, but a sign outside a sports centre near me advertises five'a'side! Jul 22, 2008

  • bilby Bless you. Jun 13, 2008

  • daemonelson I'dn't've. I appear to use this one a lot. Jun 13, 2008

  • bilby Thanks for the suggestions. Sha'n't's already there and ai'n't's plausible. Not sure I grok wha'd'ya know good. Jun 6, 2008

  • frindley Mark Twain in his Samuel Clemens hat had something to say on this subject, being an advocate for sha'n't and possibly ai'n't (or something similar, it was a long time ago that I read it). Apr 20, 2008

  • asativum I've never seen wha'd'ya know good written out, so the apostrophes could vary. Still, seems like a good candidate. Apr 20, 2008

  • minerva Another one: be'n't. Dec 17, 2007

  • bilby r'n'b's a different case because the graph r 'n' b just seems too spaced out, lazy, undynamic and inco-shiftya-ass-herent to make much sense at all. Dec 15, 2007

  • bilby The rock'n'roll effect is that it saves space in tabloid headlines:
    ROCK'N'ROLL STAR
    SUICIDES AT HOTEL
    We've all probably seen some formulation like this. It's trite but also a curious linguistic phenomenon and my curi needs feeding.
    Dec 15, 2007

  • bilby I'druther'ven't missed the ones I missed! I'm an addict of rocky dialectical ground ... are there other types of ground?! If you can render Dalziel and Pascoe (in full Warren Clarke) into phonetic spelling I think I'll die a happy man :-) Dec 15, 2007

  • sarra Gosh, if you're counting grocer's apostrophe's, you could go miles with this list...

    P.S. Either you've missed some clues, or you choose to be judicious! Dec 15, 2007

  • bilby Sarra's so cute when her dialect is showing! I defend tam'o'shanter on four counts. 1) I did a search and found this exact spelling on at least fifty websites. So some people like/use it, even if it's a load of hooey; 2) It embodies the Grocer's Apostrophe effect, which like it or not is one of the few thing's keep apostrophe's alive in English today. I was walking past a Travelling Peoples Centre today and I thought 'Hey, these people don't even have real houses, at least you could spare them an apostrophe'; 3) It's a load of nonsense, and I have deep affection for nonsense; 4) I forget number four, but it was probably devastating. Dec 15, 2007

  • sarra I can't stop. Daft ha'p'orth am I. (It's even 'a'p'orth round our way.) Dec 14, 2007

  • sarra Two more! One is that if you have bos'n's you can have cap'n's. T'other's from Yorkshire. ;) Dec 14, 2007

  • sarra sha'n't is fine, as it was once shalln't.
    I di'n't see one I might sometimes use in there. I also like wu'n't (for possibly both of wouldn't and won't), but that's rocky dialect ground.

    Unfortunately you oughtn't've had tam'o'shanter: it should really be tam-o'-shanter (there's nothing missing before the o, so it doesn't warrant an apostrophe). Wanting spaces are rock 'n' roll and fish 'n' chips, though these could stay. And add pick 'n' mix! Dec 14, 2007

  • minerva This list is wonderful, i'n't it? Dec 4, 2007

  • chained_bear 'tweren't and 'twasn't. We use this at work all the time.

    I like sha'n't, but I think technically it's usually shan't.

    How would one use o'clock's in a sentence properly? How can that word have a possessive version? EDIT: Just saw Bilby's comment on the o'clock's page. Thanks for answering the question!

    Oh! Oh! I got one: 'twouldn't've. Wow! Nov 21, 2007

  • kewpid sha'n't Nov 21, 2007

  • reesetee Not sure if this is kosher, bilby, but how about the possessive of bos'n (bos'n's)? Nov 21, 2007

  • seanahan 'twasn't the night before Christmas. Nov 21, 2007

  • skipvia Well, c_b, if anybody'd've, you'd've.

    These are hard to type... Nov 21, 2007

  • chained_bear Well, who'd've thought? We'd've, apparently.

    I wish I could think of some more slangy interesting ones than these. I'll shut up until I do.

    Nov 21, 2007

  • bilby I'll've to let the bear go if he keeps this up. Nov 21, 2007

  • chained_bear Ha! Love the list, love the title. I'll think of some more. Or I'll've been remiss. Nov 21, 2007

  • bilby Any more cockneys, roll on up.
    Nov 21, 2007

  • uselessness Here's a vote for 'tain't. :-) Nov 21, 2007

  • bilby Done. Send me the bill. Nov 21, 2007

  • asativum Nifty. How about shouldn't've, wouldn't've and couldn't've?
    Nov 21, 2007

  • jennarenn Cool idea. See y'all for a discussion of contractions. Nov 21, 2007