From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from lists.gentoo.org (pigeon.gentoo.org [208.92.234.80]) by finch.gentoo.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6F22C1381F4 for ; Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:18:32 +0000 (UTC) Received: from pigeon.gentoo.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by pigeon.gentoo.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 76218E0724; Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:18:07 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail.ukfsn.org (mail.ukfsn.org [77.75.108.10]) by pigeon.gentoo.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A194EE02FB for ; Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:16:07 +0000 (UTC) Received: from localhost (smtp-filter.ukfsn.org [192.168.54.205]) by mail.ukfsn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 847CAC6E28 for ; Tue, 14 Aug 2012 01:16:06 +0100 (BST) Received: from mail.ukfsn.org ([77.75.108.10]) by localhost (smtp-filter.ukfsn.org [192.168.54.205]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id W1DcXu5I1QX2 for ; Tue, 14 Aug 2012 01:16:06 +0100 (BST) Received: from wstn.localnet (unknown [78.32.181.186]) by mail.ukfsn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 54D73C6E0F for ; Tue, 14 Aug 2012 01:16:06 +0100 (BST) From: Peter Humphrey Organization: at home To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Subject: [OT] Re: [gentoo-user] Cannot see Grub menu Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 01:16:05 +0100 User-Agent: KMail/1.13.7 (Linux/3.3.8-gentoo; KDE/4.8.3; x86_64; ; ) References: <20120812000905.GA2684@eisen.lan> <201208130243.44931.peter@humphrey.ukfsn.org> <20120813090338.5b9d6cdd@hactar.digimed.co.uk> In-Reply-To: <20120813090338.5b9d6cdd@hactar.digimed.co.uk> Precedence: bulk List-Post: List-Help: List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: List-Id: Gentoo Linux mail X-BeenThere: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Reply-to: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: Text/Plain; charset="iso-8859-15" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-Id: <201208140116.05814.peter@humphrey.ukfsn.org> X-Archives-Salt: 08617a9f-17ae-47b8-9c51-c35ce97adff0 X-Archives-Hash: f3b8df2f369789608614994bb4d9e1d0 On Monday 13 August 2012 09:03:38 Neil Bothwick wrote: > The confusion arises because, when used with a name, an apostrophe is > needed for a possessive. The confusion arises because the apostrophe has two functions, which collide in its/it's. Who can tell /a priori/ which applies in any given case? You just have to know. There's no substitute for a decent education. > It is an understandable error... Indeed, which is why I don't usually rise to any particular bait. > ...unlike grocers' apostrophe's, which crop up everywhere and are far > more grating for me. Agreed, except that I think you mean greengrocers'. I also find that commas seem to be thrown at random into a piece of prose in the apparent hope that a few will land where they might do some good. Even Penrose is sometimes guilty of that. And don't start me on the egregious Oxford comma. Nor on the German insistence on separating the verb from the object with a comma, as though the action could proceed without something to act on. Even worse is the developing inability to distinguish between singular and plural. Not only that but the growing use of "stuff" shows an inability to distinguish even between what can be counted (number) and what can't (amount). I could find myself in despair if I weren't careful. -- Rgds Peter