Brune sent the following report to TMN:
I don't honestly know why we should even bother with Penn Venables (aside from his considerable pirate army resources). He's not much on grammar or he would have labeled his signpost "Venebles' Town." Doesn't every pirate schoolkid know that one needs to include an apostrophe to denote possession?!
Furthermore, he really should have formed a special committee to test new Town names. I myself came up with better ideas off the top of my head!
Really, can such a rube with such little imagination really pose a credible threat?
Pffft.
Posted by Para at July 05, 2008 08:57 AMHear, hear!
Posted by: Creed on July 5, 2008 09:35 AMNot to be a pedant, but your none too great on grammar either - it should be Venebles's Town. You add the "'s" on for a possessive, even if the word ends in an s, as long as it is singular to begin with. As Venables is one person, we would keep the s on the end. (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_apost.html)
Though I suppose you could be even *more* pedantic than I and then point out that it doesn't really matter either way, some people use just the apostrophe anyway.
Then I could counter that with saying your original point is probably wrong - Venables isn't even trying to make a possessive out of it, he is simply naming the town after him. It's not "his town", it's "the town named Venables." As he was saying that he wanted to rename town, not simply claim it, I believe "Venables Town" makes perfect sense anyway.
Posted by: Xepel on July 5, 2008 09:54 AM"your none too great" should be "you're none too great"
Posted by: Simmons on July 6, 2008 12:56 PMPedant.
Posted by: Xepel on July 6, 2008 03:36 PMTakes one to know one.
Posted by: Simmons on July 6, 2008 04:01 PMAhh...glass houses ;-)
I live in one, I know ;-))
Posted by: Brune on July 6, 2008 07:34 PM