Arrested for Possession of Poor Branding Grammar

I believe all professions have their pet peeves. Carpenters can spot a crooked wall, house cleaners see the lint in the corner of the room, accountants notice columns that are not right justified, etc. For me, it's spelling and grammar.

I'll also be the first to admit that I make spelling and grammar errors. I hate when it happens and, on some days, it happens more than it should.

But -- with that disclaimer out of the way -- I'm seeing more and more errors when it comes to using an apostrophe. Is this a major, world-shifting crisis? No. Is it annoying beyond belief? Yes, especially when the error is part of a company's brand.

What pushed me over the edge on this thought was a billboard on I-70 in Missouri. It was for a barbecue joint: Two Dude's Bar-B-Que. Because I love barbecue so much, my anal, journalistic mind is willing to overlook the fact that they do not use AP style in spelling the word barbecue. No biggie.

What blows me away, however, is that they've included a punctuation blunder in their name that guarantees everything they create for their brand -- from menus to bibs, ads, billboards and shirts -- includes an error. I'll explain.

Two dudes own this barbecue joint. The word dudes is obviously plural. There are, after all, apparently two dudes involved. The fact that they own the joint makes it possessive. So, we have a plural possessive. The correct use of grammar in this case would be Two Dudes' Bar-B-Que. Just move the apostrophe to be behind the s and you're good to go.

Or, change the name to Two Dude's With Poor Grammar Bar-B-Que. Although somewhat funny, that would be a real son of a gun to fit on a logo.

I have one last apostrophe thingy to get off my chest. When describing a span of time such as a decade or century, please don't use an apostrophe unless the span of time is a possessive. If you're discussing your love for Devo or Belinda Carlisle, it's the music of the 1980s, not the 1980's.

Okay, I feel better now. Carry on.