O! What a marvelous society!

This morning I was proof reading my latest little booklet (to be anounced here soon) and so, naturally, I began re-reading the classic 'Eats, shoots and leaves' by Lynne Truss. Very good, it is, for a middle-aged old pedant like me. 


I hadn't registered, first time around, that there is a society (O! marvelous society!) called 'The apostrophe protection society' - but there is!  Quick, where do I join?  


And then, while reading it, I received this in my email:

Before being called to pastor *** Church, I inevitably faced a raft of questions from its eldership.  Beforehand, however, I also asked the elders some questions of my own. Since mentioning this in a prior post, I’ve been emailed several times to forward a copy of those questions to pastor’s in the same situation. Here then is a slightly ammended [...]

Now, I'm not quick to judge.  Heaven forfend.  It may just be a typo.    And even if it isn't, I wouldn't say that anyone who thought that "pastor's" is the plural of "pastor" ought not to be in the ministry, entrusted with the sacred charge of edifying others.  I wouldn't.  Quite.  (Oh, all right - I probably would.)  But come on now - READ THE BOOK.


And when you do, here are some gems you will find in the very first pages:

• My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou, not refraining thy foot from their way

contrasted with

• My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not, refraining thy foot from their way

Then, there's Ronnie Barker's (from 'Porridge') offering when reading a fellow prisoner's letter from home:

• Now I must go and get on my lover

as opposed to

• Now I must go and get on, my lover

Then, there's:

• A woman, without her man, is nothing

and

• A woman: without her, man is nothing

Finally, the longest (and best?):

Dear Jack,

I want a man who knows what love is all about.  You are generous, kind, thoughtful.  People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior.  You have ruined me for other men.  I yearn for you.  I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart.  I can be forever happy - will you let me be yours?

                                                  Jill

which is not quite the same as

Dear Jack,

I want a man who knows what love is.  All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you.  Admit to being useless and inferior.  You have ruined me.  For other men I yearn! For you,  I have no feelings whatsoever.  When we're apart  I can be forever happy.  Will you let me be? 

                                Yours,

                                                  Jill

All the words are the same; but punctuation matters - doesn't it?