Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

pessimistic_platypus t1_je2ldtx wrote

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

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

7

EternamD t1_je2nwgp wrote

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

7

AppreciableAppendage t1_je3x7hl wrote

Pop quiz:

Everyone remembers the 1980's hairstyles were poofy.

or

Everyone remembers the 1980s' hairstyles were poofy.

2

EternamD t1_je41asz wrote

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

2

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.

3

AppreciableAppendage t1_je443pw wrote

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

2

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.

0