Pluralized Abbreviations Don’t Need Apostrophes

truncated_pachyderm · Apr 30, 2020

RPG's
DVD's
PS4's
GOTY's

All of the above are incorrect if referring to plural, rather than possessive, abbreviations. No apostrophe is necessary for plural abbreviations unless you put a period between each letter.

D.V.D.'s = OK
DVDs = OK
DVD's = not OK

I'm sorry for getting on my soapbox but I hope that some of you making new threads see this and take it into consideration when making new threads.

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FluxWaveZ · Apr 30, 2020

You mean an initialism.

GART9000 · Apr 30, 2020

Who cares?

ghibli99 · Apr 30, 2020

People using "it's" as a possessive is a lot more annoying IMO.

Hexa · Apr 30, 2020

I never knew you were supposed to put an apostrophe for plurals in the case of putting periods between letters in acronyms. What is the rule if you want to show plural possessive with an acronym with periods in between letters?

Gay Bowser · Apr 30, 2020

FluxWaveZ said:
You mean an initialism.

I like you.

GART9000 said:
Who cares?

Yeah, OP, who care's.

Vimto · Apr 30, 2020

Thx ✋🏼

Lego Killer Moth · Apr 30, 2020

okay.

KarmaCow · Apr 30, 2020

I don't think I've ever seen anyone use an apostrophe like that or I've simply never noticed.

Buff Beefbroth · Apr 30, 2020

While true, I can't imagine caring about it on a video game forum.

Sanctuary · Apr 30, 2020

ghibli99 said:
People using "it's" as a possessive is a lot more annoying IMO.

Hah, I was just about to post this. It's a very easy thing to do even for those that actually know the difference. I do it all of the time automatically, and then edit it out. "It's" is the new "Your".

Soulflarz · Apr 30, 2020

Im too petty to change my ways

thankfully my sheer laziness has me going dvds

cakely · Apr 30, 2020

Came here for the TLDR's.

truncated_pachyderm · Apr 30, 2020

FluxWaveZ said:
You mean an initialism.

Good call. Actually I meant abbreviation!

If a mod can change that before locking and/or nuking, I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Undeniablybiased · Apr 30, 2020

This is not important

ghibli99 · Apr 30, 2020

Sanctuary said:
Hah, I was just about to post this. It's a very easy thing to do even for those that actually know the difference. I do it all of the time automatically, and then edit it out.

Yeah, and to be honest, I did it too until I was a junior in college, but a professor wrote in all caps on one of my papers "IT'S = IT IS ONLY!" and well, that stuck with me for the rest of my life. LOL

ClivePwned · Apr 30, 2020

yeah, it's annoying.

plural doesn't need apostrophe.

sredgrin · Apr 30, 2020

I don't think I've ever seen anyone type RPG's

Sanctuary · Apr 30, 2020

ghibli99 said:
Yeah, and to be honest, I did it too until I was a junior in college, but a professor wrote in all caps on one of my papers "IT''S = IT IS ONLY!" and well, that stuck with me for the rest of my life. LOL

Oh, I know the difference, what I am talking about mainly though is when I'm having to jump back and forth between "it's and its" during a paragraph I'll sometimes just type it, only to notice after the fact. The one word I used to constantly misspell decades ago was a lot. It's "a lot", not alot.

TsuWave · Apr 30, 2020

Could of instead of could have and irregardless tend to make my eye twitch a little but it's not that big a deal

truncated_pachyderm · Apr 30, 2020

sredgrin said:
I don't think I've ever seen anyone type RPG's

What are the best games this gen for feeling of empowerment? (in RPG's MMO's)

Games where you create a unique character, that you slowly build towards an specific path. Games where you can show off and brag about your new weapon or your new armor, or simply, how strong you are on PVP battles or against PVE bosses. I feel like Dark Souls did this pretty well. Especially...

www.resetera.com

Jamesac68 · Apr 30, 2020

's = possessive, or maybe a contraction except in the case of "its" because the English language hates you all
s = plural

And that's it, we're done here. This isn't even a gaming thing, it's just basic grammar. Like, so incredibly basic I have no idea why it's such an issue, except there are millions of people who can't handle it.

ghibli99 · Apr 30, 2020

Sanctuary said:
Oh, I know the difference, what I am talking about mainly though is when I'm having to jump back and forth between "it's and its" during a paragraph I'll sometimes just type it, only to notice after the fact. The one word I used to constantly misspell decades ago was a lot. It's "a lot", not alot.

Yeah, I still sometimes slip up too. We're human, after all. :) Misuse of your/you're does drive me absolutely bonkers though!

Sanctuary · Apr 30, 2020

ghibli99 said:
Yeah, I still sometimes slip up too. We're human, after all. :) Misuse of your/you're does drive me absolutely bonkers though!

Its OK that your bothered by that, because I could care less.

Jencks · Apr 30, 2020

yes's

Gay Bowser · Apr 30, 2020

truncated_pachyderm said:
Good call. Actually I meant abbreviation!

If a mod can change that before locking and/or nuking, I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Of all the examples you mentioned, only GOTY is potentially an abbreviation.

If your going to be pedantic, do it write.

truncated_pachyderm · Apr 30, 2020

ghibli99 said:
Yeah, I still sometimes slip up too. We're human, after all. :) Misuse of your/you're does drive me absolutely bonkers though!

I run into issues with its and it's thanks to auto correct on my iPhone. I'll intentionally type its only for the iPhone to change it to it's. Sometimes I notice, sometimes I don't.

mrmojo228 · Apr 30, 2020

Also it's PAID not payed. I see this one so much it's crazy

DiipuSurotu · Apr 30, 2020

truncated_pachyderm said:
unless you put a period between each letter.

Huh, this I didn't know

truncated_pachyderm · Apr 30, 2020

jaggies said:
Of all the examples you mentioned, only GOTY is potentially an abbreviation.

If your going to be pedantic, do it write.

I think you're confusing abbreviation with acronym. It's a square-and-rectangle thing.

I'm talking about initialisms and acronyms, both of which are abbreviations.

Abbreviations vs. Acronyms vs. Initialisms - The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

Dictionaries don’t all agree on the definitions of these words and neither do style manuals. So we will attempt to shed more light on the distinctions. Abbreviations According to Dictionary.com, an abbreviation is a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole...

data.grammarbook.com

The Ummah · Apr 30, 2020

Is this a next gen game announcement? Looking forward to playing PADNA (Pluralized Acronyms Don't Need Apostrophes)

Gay Bowser · Apr 30, 2020

truncated_pachyderm said:
I think you're confusing abbreviation with acronym. It's a square-and-rectangle thing.

I'm talking about initialisms and acronyms, both of which are abbreviations.

The second line of that post wasn't a clue that I was trolling you? :P

Skux · Apr 30, 2020

Yup. The only time you need one is for a contraction or to show ownership.

truncated_pachyderm · Apr 30, 2020

mrmojo228 said:
Also it's PAID not payed. I see this one so much it's crazy

Last night my wife asked if we should watch another episode of "Peaky Binders," to which I replied "it's Blinders, get it? It's a pun! They're peeking from the blinders."

Then she coolly reminded me that I'm a dumbass and peak != peek.

DiipuSurotu · Apr 30, 2020

FluxWaveZ said:
You mean an initialism.

truncated_pachyderm said:
Good call. Actually I meant abbreviation!

What's the difference?

hikarutilmitt · Apr 30, 2020

Thanks for saying this, because I always want to but then my brain tells me not to ruffle feathers with something many won't care about.

How do you feel about the Oxford Comma?

ghostcrew · Apr 30, 2020

If we're gonna call out easily avoidable spelling and grammar mistakes, it's called Game Pass not Gamepass.

ghibli99 · Apr 30, 2020

Sanctuary said:
Its OK that your bothered by that, because I could care less.

LMAO My brain hurts.

truncated_pachyderm said:
I run into issues with its and it's thanks to auto correct on my iPhone. I'll intentionally type its only for the iPhone to change it to it's. Sometimes I notice, sometimes I don't.

Valid point! My phone autocorrects LOL to Lola, which makes for some interesting sentences.

Gay Bowser · Apr 30, 2020

DiipuSurotu said:
What's the difference?

Acronym = pronounced as word ("NASA," "SCUBA")
Initialism = pronounces as letters ("GPU," "ATM")

Both are abbreviations.

Poodlestrike · Apr 30, 2020

I was so close to adding an extra apostrophe to the title...

Quinton · Apr 30, 2020

But do you pronounce "GOTY" as "goatee"

DiipuSurotu · Apr 30, 2020

GOTY's would actually be wrong even without the apostrophe.

Dr Pears · Apr 30, 2020

Thank's you OP. I learned very many today.

truncated_pachyderm · Apr 30, 2020

DiipuSurotu said:
What's the difference?

I don't know who is trolling or not anymore, so I'll assume good faith!

I posted a link about the difference a few posts back.

hikarutilmitt · Apr 30, 2020

Quinton said:
But do you pronounce "GOTY" as "goatee"

More like got tee.

Hell no I don't do that.

Deleted member 24021 · Apr 30, 2020

I hate it when people type Bloodbourne instead of Bloodborne. It's incorrect.

Giga Man · Apr 30, 2020

"It's" means "it is." "Its" is the possessive form of "it."

Gay Bowser · Apr 30, 2020

I don't ever mention it, because I realize that not everyone has English as a first language.

But.

There is one poster here who always writes "hole" instead of "whole." And the thing is, they mean to write "whole" a lot. They're always talking about "Nintendo's hole business" and it's very distracting.

Deleted member 15447 · Apr 30, 2020

Disingenuous.

That's the worst thing I see on this board.

reconceptualize · Apr 30, 2020

truncated_pachyderm said:
RPG's
DVD's
PS4's
GOTY's

All of the above are incorrect if referring to plural, rather than possessive, abbreviations. No apostrophe is necessary for plural abbreviations unless you put a period between each letter.

D.V.D.'s = OK
DVDs = OK
DVD's = not OK

I'm sorry for getting on my soapbox but I hope that some of you making new threads see this and take it into consideration when making new threads.

FAQs on Style

Many topics come up repeatedly in reader comments and e-mail messages to After Deadline. Unfortunately I’m not able to offer a direct response to each comment (truth be told, After Deadline is a sideline for me). But one thoughtful reader suggested that I compile answers for some of the most...

afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com

This is mostly true. Collective nouns that end with "s" can be the exception.

Otherwise, good reminder.

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