October 2026 Newsletter
Welcome to the October 2026 newsletter from the Apostrophe Protection Society
We're well on our way to 6,000 members! If you're one of our new members, you've already received a personal welcome — but let me say it again: welcome! And to all our long-standing members, thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Halloween - a spooky apostrophe question
With Halloween just around the corner, it's time to ask a topical apostrophe question: should it be Halloween, Hallowe'en or Halloween's?
The original name was All Hallows' Eve, meaning the evening before All Hallows' Day (now better known as All Saints' Day, 1 November). Over time, this was shortened to Hallowe'en, with the apostrophe marking the omitted v in even (the older form of evening). Eventually, the apostrophe disappeared too, leaving us with the familiar Halloween.
Interestingly, there's a transatlantic difference in usage. In the USA, Halloween has long been the overwhelmingly preferred spelling, while Hallowe'en has traditionally been more popular in Britain. Even here, however, the apostrophe is gradually disappearing, seemingly becoming as much a ghost of the past as the missing letters it once represented!
So, is Hallowe'en wrong? Not at all – it's simply an older form that retains a clue to the word's origins. And what about Halloween's? That's perfectly acceptable when indicating possession or a contraction, but perhaps best avoided when decorating your front door with a sign inviting trick-or-treaters!
Happy Halloween from the APS – and beware of rogue apostrophes lurking in the shadows!
Our 25th anniversary – a little more international attention!
Following the APS's 25th anniversary celebrations in August, I was pleased to have the opportunity to talk about the Society on RTÉ Radio in Ireland. It was a chance to look back at how the APS came about, what we've achieved over the years and why we still have plenty of work to do!
I can't say that our anniversary generated quite the media excitement I'd been hoping for, but it was good to get some international airtime. And it seems that apostrophes know no international boundaries!
Twenty-five years on, the APS is still going strong. Our membership continues to grow, the Rogues' Gallery keeps acquiring new material (sadly, there's no shortage of it!) and I'm certainly not short of things to write about. So, here's to the next 25 years – although I rather hope we'll have made some progress with apostrophe abuse by then!
The milk of a cow
I regularly receive questions from you (please keep them coming) on a variety of apostrophe topics — and sometimes on topics unrelated to apostrophes! One of the recurring ones is how to apostrophise terms like cow's milk. Should it be cow's milk or cows' milk — surely more than one cow was involved? And what about goat's cheese – or should that be goats' cheese?
The answer is that both singular and plural possessives can be found, but the traditional and generally preferred forms are cow's milk and goat's cheese. The apostrophe indicates that the milk comes from a cow, or the cheese is made from goat's milk. It doesn't mean that a particular cow or goat owns the product!
You might reasonably ask why we don't write cows' milk and goats' cheese, since we're usually talking about the milk or cheese produced by more than one animal. That's a fair question, but English often uses the singular animal name to describe the source or type of a product, even when more than one animal is involved.
So, while cows' milk isn't necessarily wrong, cow's milk or goat's cheese is the more conventional form. And if you happen to spot goats cheese on a supermarket label, you can be fairly sure that an apostrophe has gone missing somewhere along the production line!
Cartoon Time
This is my new favourite (or favorite) apostrophe cartoon! I stumbled across it a couple of months ago and thought it very appropriate for me and the APS.
I've put it on the APS website, but thought I should share it with you here as well.
Debbie Ridpath Ohi is not only a brilliant author and illustrator — she's also a signed-up member of the Apostrophe Protection Society!
Apostrophe Spotting: Readers’ Finds
Our Rogues’ Gallery continues to grow, showing that apostrophe misuse remains as widespread and as inventive as ever. I've added quite a lot of your latest submissions recently, so browse the gallery on the website to see the latest howlers.
If you find an apostrophe error wherever you are, take a photo and send it in. If it's a good one, I'll add it to the Rogues' Gallery.
Here are a couple of recent entries:
It's an apostrophe misuse I've never seen before — and I hope never to see again.
Why did that apostrophe creep in? It's not a missing letter, it's not possessive, and it's not even a plural! Is it typographically signifying the ring pull on the can?
Apparently, they have a single, solitary pie for sale. Presumably they shut up shop once it’s been sold! As the shop was shut, perhaps the pie had been sold. No indication as to how often they re-stock with another single pie.
Thank you
Whether you have been with us since the beginning, joined us recently, sent in an example for the website, shared one of our articles, or simply enjoyed reading our newsletters, thank you. The continued support of our members is what keeps the Society going.
Best wishes,
Bob
Bob McCalden
Chairman
Apostrophe Protection Society
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