Deppenapostroph

German

Etymology

From Depp (“fool”) +‎ -en- +‎ Apostroph (“apostrophe”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɛpənʔapoˌstʁoːf/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Dep‧pen‧apo‧stroph

Noun

Examples
mehr für's Geld (i.e. mehr fürs Geld) (“more for the money”) CD's und DVD's (i.e. CDs und DVDs) (“CDs and DVDs”) Mario's Pizzeria (i.e. Marios Pizzeria) (“Mario's pizzeria”) (see usage notes)

Deppenapostroph m or (nonstandard but common informally) n (strong, genitive Deppenapostrophs, plural Deppenapostrophe)

1. (colloquial) greengrocer's apostrophe; an incorrectly used apostrophe, especially the practice borrowed from English to denote possessive

   Synonym: Idiotenapostroph

   Coordinate term: Deppenleerzeichen

Usage notes

• Due to its widespread usage, a 2024 update of the Amtliches Regelwerk für deutsche Rechtschreibung now permits the possessive Deppenapostroph, but only in proper noun constructions (for example Mario's Pizzeria used as a name). Since at least 2004, it already permitted the apostroph in certain cases, like Carlo's (of Carlo), distinguished from Carlos and Carlos' (of Carlos).

Declension

Declension of Deppenapostroph [masculine // neuter (nonstandard but common informally), strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der, das	Deppenapostroph	die	Deppenapostrophe
genitive	eines	des	Deppenapostrophs	der	Deppenapostrophe
dative	einem	dem	Deppenapostroph	den	Deppenapostrophen
accusative	einen, ein	den, das	Deppenapostroph	die	Deppenapostrophe