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I like a trend I've noticed where an author elides “that is” or “it is” or “it’s” or “that’s” right the way down to just “’s”. ’s what I'm going to start doing.

Comments

's been doing it for years.

(heh, it was worth a try.)

if you're eliding on "I have" you can get away with losing the whole thing:

Been doin' it for years.

In fact, I think been easily let's you lose have/has most of the time:

He been doin' it for years.

Maybe I'm off in the Carribean somewhere, tho... I bin dun did do dat

Use/mention. Man, I had to read that a few times.

That's actually hideous. Just type the damn word!

You mean "that is" hideous? Just type the damn word!

I approve of 'that's' - but shortening it to 's?! For serious?! Ick.

I'm pretty sure the phenomenon of contraction arose not out of people being too lazy to _write_ it is, but too lazy to say it. In the same way, use of 's or similar innovations oughta reflect actual practice in speech. I mean, come on, it's the kinda thing Mark Twain did, right?

For serious: an interestingly adverbial-sense-lending use of the preposition for. Oh for inflectional systems!

I'll agree it's hideous as far as there shouldn't be a space between the s and the next word: 'smy practice anyway.

You bloody Greek. When spoken by a first-language speaker, 'snotlikethegapbetweensandmyisanyshorterthanthegapbetweenmyandpractice. Maybe you'd endorse the use of an interpunct?

I could justify it along the lines of "you wouldn't write would n't"