question for grammar grinches

[Geonz]

... how would you spell "dos and don'ts?"

(I just can't believe it would be "do's and don'ts" or do's and dont's)...

[mimitabby]

... how would you spell "dos and don'ts?"

(I just can't believe it would be "do's and don'ts" or do's and dont's)...

I like do's and don'ts myself.
You put the apostrophe after the O in "do" because otherwise it looks like DOS.
with don'ts.. you don't have to. I think.
:)

[DeniseGoldberg]

Merriam-Webster online shows the plural of do as either dos or do's.

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/dos

It appears that this is a case without a right (or wrong) answer!

--- Denise

[Bad JuJu]

Yes, this is one of those situations in which you just have to make a choice and stick with it--do be consistent. And if you do choose to add the apostrophe before the -s, you still have to include the contraction apostrophe in don't's (just as I've written it).

If you're asking because of a work issue, be aware that many companies that deal in writing have official style manuals, where these questions might be answered. Or then again, they might not.

This question reminds me of a child's TV show I used to watch when I was pre-kindergarten age, where the teacher/hostess did a little skit with bumblebee puppets. It was called "Do Be a Do-Bee, Don't Be a Don't-Bee." Funny what our brains file away for future reference, isn't it?

[Kano]

This question reminds me of a child's TV show I used to watch when I was pre-kindergarten age, where the teacher/hostess did a little skit with bumblebee puppets. It was called "Do Be a Do-Bee, Don't Be a Don't-Bee." Funny what our brains file away for future reference, isn't it?

Romper Room with Miss Betty!

I remember too!

Karen in Boise

[KnottedYet]

I kinda run by the rule that you put an "e" after "o" for plurals (like in tomatoes and potatoes) but "does" means lots of female deers or the singular 3rd person verb-form of "do." So you dump the "e" and put in an apostrophe to hold its place.

Of course, if English were a purely phonetic written language, all this would be moot.

Have you ever notice how much "apostrophe" resembles "catastrophe"? And it often is...

:D

Knot-the-warped-literature-major-child-of-a-long-line-of-librarians

[KnottedYet]

Romper Room with Miss Betty!

I remember too!

Karen in Boise

Was she the one with the magic mirror that could see you? And she'd be lookin' through the dammm thing (no glass), saying kids' names?

That sumbich freaked me right out!

[Bikingmomof3]

Was she the one with the magic mirror that could see you? And she'd be lookin' through the dammm thing (no glass), saying kids' names?

That sumbich freaked me right out!

That is the show. :)

[five one]

Was she the one with the magic mirror that could see you? And she'd be lookin' through the dammm thing (no glass), saying kids' names?

I remember being so disappointed each day because she NEVER "saw" me. She only saw Linda, Bobby, Kathy, Tommy, Karen and a million Debbie's. Never Virginia. Sigh...

[uforgot]

Romper, Stomper, Bomper Boo
Tell me Tell me Tell me who.
Magic Mirror, tell me today,
Have all my friends come out to play?
I see...

Not sure where THAT came from. Why do I remember that but I can't remember where I laid my car keys an hour ago?

[uforgot]

I remember being so disappointed each day because she NEVER "saw" me. She only saw Linda, Bobby, Kathy, Tommy, Karen and a million Debbie's. Never Virginia. Sigh...

You had to call in and request your name be said. She did say Claudia once and my mom made sure I was watching. Apparently, since I can quote the rhyme, I always watched. That and "Ding Dong School". Anyone remember that one? Go ahead and laugh at the name, but no one was big and purple.

[five one]

HA! No wonder. I'm sure my mother wouldn't have known to call in a request. Guess I can put that childhood angst to rest now.

I do remember Ding Dong School. Miss Frances -(?) - advertised Sweetheart soap. I never got that either! Captain Kangaroo was always my favorite, though. Loved Mr. Moose and the ping pong balls :D . Today's kid's programming is sure different now. Glad my kids are grown up.

Sorry about the thread drift. Back to grammar now...

[mimitabby]

me too me too!

and I was on the Howdy Doody show! All i can remember about it now
was sitting on bleachers and getting ice cream.

[Bad JuJu]

I'm SO glad I'm not the only one whose memory dredges up stuff like this. I remember the magic mirror too, and Captain Kangaroo--my fave character was Bunny Rabbit. And of course, "It's Howdy Doody Time!"

But do any of you remember Andy Divine's TV show for kids? I don't remember the title of it, but I remember he had a magic frog character, called, appropriately, Froggy. And Andy would say, "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!" and flash-bang, Froggy would appear. What's not to love about that?

[Bikingmomof3]

I remember being so disappointed each day because she NEVER "saw" me. She only saw Linda, Bobby, Kathy, Tommy, Karen and a million Debbie's. Never Virginia. Sigh...


Me either and my name was supposed to be the #1 baby girls name. I remember being so disappointed that she never "saw" me. *sigh*

[five one]

But do any of you remember Andy Divine's TV show for kids?

I don't remember him having a children's show, but I do remember him as Wild Bill Hickok's sidekick Jingles. "Hey Bill, wait for me!"

[Bad JuJu]

I don't remember him having a children's show, but I do remember him as Wild Bill Hickok's sidekick Jingles. "Hey Bill, wait for me!"
Right--same guy!

[kelownagirl]

I kinda run by the rule that you put an "e" after "o" for plurals (like in tomatoes and potatoes) but "does" means lots of female deers or the singular 3rd person verb-form of "do." So you dump the "e" and put in an apostrophe to hold its place.

Of course, if English were a purely phonetic written language, all this would be moot.

Have you ever notice how much "apostrophe" resembles "catastrophe"? And it often is...

:D

Knot-the-warped-literature-major-child-of-a-long-line-of-librarians

I am always wondering about numbers. When we say we are taking the Grade 3's I always put an apostrophe but someone told that is wrong. 3s just looks stupid.

[LBTC]

I am always wondering about numbers. When we say we are taking the Grade 3's I always put an apostrophe but someone told that is wrong. 3s just looks stupid.

If you follow the rule that all numbers below 10, when written officially, should be spelled out, then it would be Grade threes. Or you could say, children in the grade three class. :p

~T~

[Crankin]

As an English teacher, it kills me to see people put apostrophes when it is just a plural, not a contraction or posessive. I think some of us think that every time a word ends in an "s" that it needs an apostrophe....
The dos and don'ts are tricky, because that is sort of a slang expression, so what Denise read from the dictionary is the advice i would give students who were using it in a writing piece. And yes, numbers below ten should be spelled out.

Ha, I clearly remember Miss Francis. I think I must have been about three. And Romper Room. The "teacher" who was on the show in the Boston area was named Miss Jeanne. And for those of you MA people, anyone for Rex Trailer and a trip to Boomtown? I remember when I first moved back here in 1990, we were driving in Waltham and saw Rex Trailer's production company on a storefront, with his name on it. I got very excited, but my husband could not understand what the big deal was about a kid's TV show. I was addicted to that show until I was about nine.

[DebW]

If you're asking because of a work issue, be aware that many companies that deal in writing have official style manuals, where these questions might be answered. Or then again, they might not.


If you're publishing in a journal, the journal will have it's own style guidelines to remove the ambiguities of the English language. For example, temperatures reported in Kelvin should not contain the degree symbol, and there should be a space between the number and the "K", as in "298 K".


Was she the one with the magic mirror that could see you? And she'd be lookin' through the dammm thing (no glass), saying kids' names?

That sumbich freaked me right out!

She just bored me silly. Never could deal with sickly-sweet women, even as a tot. I did like Mr. Green Jeans on Captain Kangaroo. And I loved "Diver Dan", the guy in the hard-hat diving suit. It was probably filmed in a 10 gallon aquarium with little action figures, but at least there was action.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

But do any of you remember Andy Divine's TV show for kids? I don't remember the title of it, but I remember he had a magic frog character, called, appropriately, Froggy. And Andy would say, "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!" and flash-bang, Froggy would appear. What's not to love about that?

"Hiya Kids! Hiya hiya!!"
YES!!! I used to LOVE "Andy's Gang"!! There was Midnight the cat tied and bound up to his violin, right? We actually got a rubber version of Froggy for the bathtub.

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv/andys-gang.htm

http://www.tvparty.com/lostandy.html