December 31, 2008: Issue 271
When you break into a chorus of Auld Lang Syne at midnight, you probably won’t be worried about how to spell this old Scottish phrase.
But next time you write it, avoid the common mistake of throwing an aposotrophe-s (or s-apostrophe) at the end of lang. This error arises from the belief that auld lang syne translates to old times’ sake. The phrase actually means old long ago.
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