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EternamD t1_je29e58 wrote

Reply to comment by ImpendingSenseOfDoom in Phoebe Cates 1980s by steroidamoeba

1980s *

You may be thinking of the apostrophe in '80s

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Fuckoffassholes t1_je2fx6q wrote

It looks weird to have a number followed by a letter with no space or punctuation. I am a grammar nazi but this I will allow. Team 80's

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[deleted] t1_je2utyw wrote

[deleted]

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AppreciableAppendage t1_je3wl0w wrote

Not an abbreviation, but a placeholder. The apostrophe is a placeholder for the "19" in 1980s. Or...

Little ol' me

The apostrophe is a placeholder for the letter "d"

Rock 'n' roll

The apostrophes are placeholders for the letters "a" and "d"

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Fuckoffassholes t1_je3eoct wrote

I understand the by-the-book purpose of the apostrophe; it's just my personal thing that I do, knowing it's wrong but it looks more "right" to me, in a strictly visual sense, because you don't ever see a number touching a letter anywhere else.

If I wasn't using numerals I'd obviously write "eighties" and not "eighty's."

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pessimistic_platypus t1_je2ldtx wrote

No, "1980's photo" would be an odd way to refer to a photo from 1980 specifically, because that's a possessive apostrophe.

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EternamD t1_je2nwgp wrote

Exactly. "1979 had a good photo but 1980's was better" something like that

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AppreciableAppendage t1_je3x7hl wrote

Pop quiz:

Everyone remembers the 1980's hairstyles were poofy.

or

Everyone remembers the 1980s' hairstyles were poofy.

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EternamD t1_je41asz wrote

Second one is correct, although the first would also be correct if the "the" was removed

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punkassjim t1_je43wl4 wrote

It would be grammatically correct, but factually incorrect. The real poofy hair was closer to the late ‘80s. 1980 proper featured mostly 1970s styles. Disco and Charlie’s Angels were still a thing, so the fashionable hair was more flowy than poofy.

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AppreciableAppendage t1_je443pw wrote

Well, yeah, I was focusing more on the punctuation than the fashion haha. When was it feathery?

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Fuckoffassholes t1_je3fru1 wrote

I know the true intended purpose of apostrophes; my comment is unrelated to that. I'm saying I personally have an OCD beef with seeing a numeral touch a letter so I deliberately misuse the apostrophe in a non-possessive way.

If somebody typed "I like turtle's," I'd grind my teeth, but there's no numeral there, so the 80's is a special exception. I know this is wrong and I'm not allowed to make up the rules, but at the same time, can too.

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AppreciableAppendage t1_je3wi9c wrote

>I am a grammar nazi

I don't think that phrase means what you think it means

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Fuckoffassholes t1_je4t55r wrote

Never said "punctuation nazi."

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AppreciableAppendage t1_je6y2ut wrote

So, you also erroneously fancy yourself a Semantics Specialist. Not only are you attempting to speak in the context of punctuation, but, if you were the Grammar Nazi you claim to be, you would know that one of the many aspects of grammar is punctuation. Many grammatical rules cannot be followed without punctuation; therefore, it does form part of grammar.

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