This is topic quick punctuation question in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.


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Posted by wetwilly (Member # 1818) on :
 
when adding a suffix to an acronym (acronym being used as a verb and getting a verb ending):

I must have OD'ed

or

I must have ODed

The apostrophe doesn't make sense to me, since you don't use an apostrophe for verb endings normally, but without it it looks like it's supposed to be one word (pronounced oh-dead).
 


Posted by BenM (Member # 8329) on :
 
I'm actually unsure, but I think I have more commonly seen

OD'd

as in CNN producer found dead had OD'd on cocaine
 


Posted by extrinsic (Member # 8019) on :
 
Webster's 11th Collegiate answers this one under OD, transitive verb, inflected forms, ODed or OD'd. In other inflected forms, OD'ing and OD's. He OD'd (ODed) on TV. He's OD'ing on TV. He OD's on TV every night.

Apostrophe rules also distinguish missing letters as in contractions, din't for didn't for did not, and like in OD'd, and when necessary for clarity with suffixes that might confuse meaning, especially with letters used as words. On the S level there are nine rooms named with S's.

[This message has been edited by extrinsic (edited July 25, 2009).]
 


Posted by wetwilly (Member # 1818) on :
 
Beautiful, extrinsic. Thank you.
 


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