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The first example I see often is usually along the lines of "Go get 'em!".

In personal training muscles are often spoken of in a shortened manner, for example triceps are called tri's. Would this be valid use of an apostrophe?

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  • I think tris would be confusing. However, if it's in written form why wouldn't you spell triceps out fully?
    – Jeffrey Kemp
    Commented Oct 16, 2015 at 8:11
  • Triceps is probably not the best example, the majority of muscle names are long and tedious to write out in full when both parties know what's being referred to with the shortened reference. Let's take gluteus maximus for example...it's normally referred to as glute's.
    – VenomRush
    Commented Oct 16, 2015 at 8:17

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Regarding the triceps: It seems to be perfectly acceptable to use an apostrophe to denote plural in such cases. Personally, I would also argue it often helps eliminate confusion.

Consider:

bi: a bisexual person

plural: bis or bi's

(AHD)

Or:

a: the first letter of the English alphabet

plural: a's or as

(Webster's Unabridged)

In go get 'em the 'em part is a contraction, so it uses an apostrophe to indicate omission. Contraction is defined by Webster's Unabridged like so:

a shortening of a word, syllable, or word group by omission of one or more sounds or letters or by the reduction of two or more vowels or syllables to one — used especially of shortening in the interior of a word (as e'er for ever) and of shortening of enclitics (as 'll for will in they'll) and proclitics (as 't for it in 't is).

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  • Go get ’em isn't actually a contraction. It's the same number of syllables as the full form; only a single consonant is omitted. E’er is not a contraction because the v is omitted, but because it's reduced from two syllables (/e.vər/) to one (/er/).
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Commented Oct 16, 2015 at 9:03
  • More relevant is actually a’s, even though no letters are left out: monosyllabic words ending in (phonetically long, graphemically simplex) vowels tend to be pluralised either with or without apostrophes, even when fully written out: one do, two do(’)s; one pi, two pi(’)s; one la, two la(’)s, etc.
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Commented Oct 16, 2015 at 9:08
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    @JanusBahsJacquet It seems 'em fits the definition of contraction, as defined in Webster's. Omission of one or more sounds is part of the definition.
    – A.P.
    Commented Oct 16, 2015 at 9:13
  • I feel like this response best answers my question. Thanks @A.P.
    – VenomRush
    Commented Oct 16, 2015 at 9:15
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I think the apostrophe is usually used when a word is shortened by cutting out the front.

"Go get 'em."

"I been working out my 'ceps a lot."

"I gotta let my 'rents know I'm coming home late."

When a word is shortened by cutting off the end, it is not usually accompanied by an apostrophe.

"Grab your sneaks before we go."

"What are the stats on that player?"

"My abs are still sore from the core workout yesterday."

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  • Yes, sneak/stat/ab became words. For the first part, 'cause, I'm, they're, I'd, could be good examples.
    – user140086
    Commented Oct 16, 2015 at 8:20

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