Hi Chris,
I think the absence of the genitive 's is not really that widespread. I do
see it dropped sometimes, but for example I don't think I've seen it in
print. What I /do/ regularly see, even in print and once /carved in stone/,
is the incorrect use of the genitive 's to make a plural. Constructions
like "CD's for sale" and "used car's" annoy the heck out of me, and they're
everywhere! :-P
'Sam
p.s. as long as we're on the topic of Correct English (tm), I believe that
"whence" can only mean "from where", and not "to where". Perhaps "whither"
is more in line with what you were looking for?
Chris Searles wrote:
[...]
> wondering what has become of the
> "genitive s" (='s) in American English. My mother is English and lives in
the
> States and she's always struck by its absence everywhere you
> go in the US.
>
> I'm not trying to be mean to Rick, but was just curious if
> his oversight
> is really that typical of a more general trend.
>
> So, here's one for the linguistically interested on the list to share
> their thoughts on...
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