What is the deal with people using apostrophes to make words plural? I saw a giant sign a couple of days ago advertising “Condo’s For Sale” at the entrance to this new development. I also saw one of those roadside signs stuck in the ground that said “Hey Mom’s! Make money at home now!”

(Insert scream here.)

Unless a large chunk of the world blacked out during grades 1-12, I have no idea where this came from, but it needs to stop. People do notice, and if you mess up something on a sign with fewer than ten words on it, why on earth would they trust you to build them a condo or help them start a new career at home?

Mistakes happen, but if large amounts of money are on the line and all you have to do is proofread a sign or a letter, proofread it again and again. Then have other people proofread it, too.

For the record: Never, ever make a word plural using an apostrophe + s. An apostrophe with an s indicates possession. Therefore, Let’s weigh the pro’s and con’s is incorrect. I actually saw this on a greeting card. It’s simply Let’s weigh the pros and cons. Now that I’ve pointed this out to you, you will see it everywhere.

The letter s does not like being ostracized from other letters in a word. Representatives of The Letter S Foundation are now taking legal action to regain its rightful place in the family of letters.

You can read more ranting about apostrophes in my writing guide.