Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
Taylor Swift Doesn't Need Your Grammatical Approval. In Love. Foil Lump Surprise.
Feb 13, 2024
Taylor Swift's use of 'Poets' without an apostrophe, the distinction between plural and possessive forms in phrases, exploring the meaning and complexity of love in different languages, and the challenges posed by the semantic broadness of love in English.
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Quick takeaways
- Leaving off the apostrophe in 'The Tortured Poets Department' gives a sense of a department for poets rather than the poets owning the department.
- English lacks specificity in the word 'love,' leading to the use of descriptive terms and metaphors to differentiate between different types of love, such as being in love versus simply loving someone.
Deep dives
Taylor Swift and the Apostrophe
Taylor Swift's album title, the Tortured Poets Department, sparked a discussion about the use of apostrophes. While some questioned the absence of an apostrophe in 'Poets,' it was explained that nouns can also be attributive and describe things. Leaving off the apostrophe gives a sense of a department for poets rather than the poets owning the department.
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