"greengrocer's apostrophe" (was Re: Cam(pb)ell)

[James Smith]

--- Arnold Zwicky <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU> wrote:
> steve k.:
>
>   do you call them greengrocer's scarequotes, too?
>   "fresh" muskemelon's -- only "one dollar"
>....
> actually, i don't expect most americans to
> understand "greengrocer's
> apostrophe".  i try to use it only when i think my
> audience will
> have heard the term already.
>
> arnold (zwicky at csli.stanford.edu)

I understand what a greengrocer is, and figured out
what a greengrocer's apostrophe is.  What isn't clear:
is this peculiar to greengrocers only, is this common
to all merchants, or is this use so common or
widespread throughout all aspects of writing and
printing in England that it is considered an accepted
use of the apostrophe?

=====
James D. SMITH                 |If history teaches anything
SLC, UT                        |it is that we will be sued
jsmithjamessmith at yahoo.com     |whether we act quickly and decisively
                               |or slowly and cautiously.

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