Why no saintly use of grammar?

In the run up to St Patrick’s Day, a clever Guinness poster showed someone sipping a pint, with the strapline “St Who’s Day?”. Clearly, the inference was that the gentleman didn’t need a saint’s day to sup his favourite tipple.

Was the intention to perpetuate the myth that the Irish are ignorant and illiterate, or is it a sad reflection on the quality of today’s creatives?

“Saint who’s day” means “saint who is day”. Saint whose day is the possessive pronoun. Please don’t fob me off with platitudes that it looks more appropriate creatively. Typographically “who’s” and “whose” take up the same space.

I am preparing children for their 11-plus and I’ve only just steered them away from putting “it’s” when referring to “its”. Still we blame it on the teachers.

Finnian Fitzpatrick

Beleaguered teacher

London SW4

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