{"id":157,"date":"2013-08-21T14:55:56","date_gmt":"2013-08-21T13:55:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jesusromerotrillo.es\/?p=157"},"modified":"2013-08-21T14:55:56","modified_gmt":"2013-08-21T13:55:56","slug":"its-in-its-right-place-how-to-use-apostrophes-the-winning-haiku-mind-your-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jesusromerotrillo.es\/?p=157","title":{"rendered":"It’s in its right place: how to use apostrophes \u2013 the winning haiku. | Mind your language"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some of the best entries from last week’s International Apostrophe Day haiku competition<\/p>\n

Here are my 10 favourite entries from last week’s competition for International Apostrophe Day. Entrants had to tweet an apostrophe-themed haiku.<\/p>\n

@Artellus worked out that the tagline #apostropheday had the right number of syllables:<\/p>\n

Just one haiku each?<\/em><\/p>\n

If so, don’t count this one plz.<\/em><\/p>\n

#apostropheday<\/em><\/p>\n

@ActuallyHolly (Holly Ashworth) tagged her entry #haikuingwhilepregnant:<\/p>\n

Punctuation marks<\/em><\/p>\n

all labor hard, but only <\/em><\/p>\n

you make contractions.<\/em><\/p>\n

I liked @louisebolotin’s allusion to the so-called greengrocer’s apostrophe:<\/p>\n

It hangs between pea’s<\/em><\/p>\n

But not twixt seasons greetings<\/em><\/p>\n

Defying logic.<\/em><\/p>\n

@Punbelievable lived up to their name:<\/p>\n

Kings Cross, about the<\/em><\/p>\n

King’s College apostrophe:<\/em><\/p>\n

Earl’s Court in two minds.<\/em><\/p>\n

The possessive apostrophe proved a popular theme:<\/p>\n

Life isn’t easy<\/em><\/p>\n

When you keep being abused<\/em><\/p>\n

But you’re possessive.<\/em><\/p>\n

@mjhindle (Matt Hindle)<\/p>\n

“You’re so possessive,”<\/em><\/p>\n

she fumed as I was busy<\/em><\/p>\n

apostrophizing.<\/em><\/p>\n

@EditorMark (Mark Allen)<\/p>\n

This is rather poignant, like a message scratched on a prison wall or in a bottle:<\/p>\n

Letters have faded<\/em><\/p>\n

Apostrophe alone left<\/em><\/p>\n

Echoes of lost sounds<\/em>.<\/p>\n

@Greg_Vines<\/p>\n

The runners-up<\/h2>\n

@ahaikuaday has had plenty of practice, as you can see from this elegant example:<\/p>\n

the apostrofly’s<\/em><\/p>\n

in my eye, and ruin’s all<\/em><\/p>\n

i e’er see ere sleep.<\/em><\/p>\n

@Stoepbrak (Christo Steyn) contributed a haiku that contained an Afrikaans apostrophe, afkappingsteken<\/em>, which literally means “off-chopping sign”, as well as this one:<\/p>\n

endangered species<\/em><\/p>\n

of the punctuation tribe<\/em><\/p>\n

how it’s earned its keep!<\/em><\/p>\n

The winner<\/h2>\n

Apostrophe Vigilante, who tweets as @ApostropheLaw, is clearly an expert and the winning tweet neatly demonstrates how an apostrophe can change the meaning of a sentence.<\/p>\n

I’ve run out of food.<\/em><\/p>\n

I’m going to eat the dogs.<\/em><\/p>\n

What apostrophe?<\/em><\/p>\n

A copy of Guardian Style<\/a> is on its way to the winner. Thanks to everyone who entered a haiku and participated in International Apostrophe Day, which next year will take place on Friday 15 August.<\/p>\n

For executives of Tesco, and anyone else who might appreciate a reminder of how to use the apostrophe, here’s a link to last week’s blogpost<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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