Mary Killen Mary Killen

Dear Mary: How can we pin down our neighbours’ rogue apostrophes?

Plus: a cure for reader's block

issue 19 April 2014

Q. We have just moved into a charming little hamlet in Warwickshire and were delighted to find a bottle of wine and a friendly card to welcome us from the neighbours. I was a little bit dismayed to see that they had introduced themselves in their card as from the ‘Paddock’s’ (sic). Our problem is that the place is hard to find and we have agreed with these delightful neighbours that we should erect a sign listing the three dwellings in question at the end of the driveway that leads to our house and theirs and, without thinking, left it to them to organise the sign. How can we politely see that the aberrant apostrophe does not appear and that they don’t shove a further apostrophe in the name of our house?
—J.P., Warks

A. Attract your postman into your own dwelling for refreshments and ask his view on whether such a sign would be helpful.

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