[vixin]

Implosion Sphere for Fat Man nearly assembled and about to be placed inside it's casing.

"Its casing". Why do people have such a problem with it's and its?

[sophacles]

Because it's backwards of how apostrophes normally work. In all other cases, it is the right place to use an apostrophe:

* ...about to be placed in Fat Man's casing.

* ...about to be placed in the bomb's casing

* ... about to be placed in its casing.

One of those is not like the others.

[scrollaway]

It helps to understand how it actually works. The s in its does not point towards possession, it is simply part of the word "its".

My, His, Hers, Ours, Yours, Theirs, Its.

Not Me's, He's, She's, Us's, Your's, Their's, It's.

English is an easy language. Most languages use a lot more words than all that to convey all that. English speakers don't have to deal with the singular second person, with a separate objective noun for you/he/she, with neutrals (heck, barely at all with the feminine), and so on.

So make an effort. Get its right :)

[sgustard]

All English pronouns are nonstandard, different from each other, and different from nouns. You can bother to learn it or not, you're choice. I mean your choice. Yer?

[ryandvm]

Because English is like Javascript - it's weird and is riddled with vestigial design errors, but since it's everywhere, we're all forced to use it.

[scrollaway]

Part of why English is everywhere is because it is extremely flexible, malleable and very lax about its own rules. Otherwise we'd all be speaking French.

I prefer to see English like I see Python. Younger, easier, more flexible and more self-aware than the languages it draws its roots from, and fun enough that it has a lot of influence on every other language.

[Moru]

I think people coming from other languages have another view of English. As a "swede" I find it surprisingly logical and easy to learn. I bet someone from Finland would agree :-)

[zura]

Egzactli.

[robmcm]

Because it's the opposite of how you deal with possessives in other situations.

...inside Fat Man's casing...

I assume you knew that though and were just being an ass.

[Tenhundfeld]

I think OP was just being an ass, but whether the behavior is opposite really depends on your frame of reference. The lack of apostrophe is consistent with how you deal with possessive pronouns: his, her/hers, our/ours, etc. No possessive pronouns have apostrophes, with one exception. And the apostrophe is consistent with how other contractions work.

If you remember (and care) that its and it's are two separate words, then you should be able think your way through it. It's could legitimately be possessive or a contraction, but its can only be the possessive.

Anyway, I agree with you that it's tricky enough that we shouldn't be assholes about it.