It's "bear" with me. "Bear" as in carry. Or stay with me, wait for me.
Often if you're unsure about what spelling to use, think about the origin of the expression and how it was originally used. Dictionairies can help there, but the more you read (books, not posts!) the more your mind fills up with this wealth of background information.
It's been a long thread, I can't recall - have we dealt with the apostrophe issue yet? You know the thing - you see a sign on a shop. "fresh fruit and vegetable's here!" "Five table's, no waiting!" "Waitress's wanted!"
(which also reminds me - the shop signs where they decorate with quotation marks - as if they aren't confident enough to come out and state, WE HAVE FRESH VEGETABLES, they have to do it with JOHNSON GREENGROCER "we have fresh vegetables" "tomatoes" "potatoes" "fresh onions" - I want to scream. Like, who says they have fresh vegetables? They're clearly quoting someone else).
Back to apostrophes - they denote possession only in some cases (not personal pronouns). Or they indicate the position of a missing letter.
For example, you don't have an apostrophe in HIS, HERS, ITS (as in "its collar was on backwards"). But you do have an apostrophe in JENNY'S, THE PARSON'S, THE NEIGHBOUR'S (when talking about something they own).
Other words with apostrophes - they are words where a letter is missing, usually where two words have been run into one in the process. For example, IT'S as short for IT IS. It's the only time you have an apostrophe (with I T S). DO NOT is run together and the O is dropped (being replaced by an apostrophe) to form DON'T. In a more old-fashioned way, SHALL NOT is run together but only one apostrophe is used, again to replace the O, to give SHAN'T.
Now, I know these rules thoroughly, but I still make mistakes when typing fast and not double-checking my work. Where I get cranky, is with people who either should know better, or who are putting their words in the public eye in a way where they should have availed themselves of professional services. ie signmakers, writers, those for whom words are a livelihood.
The most enjoyable places for finding gramamtical and spelling errors like these, are in those ads that promote correspondence lessons in editing and writing. Finding mistakes in those REALLY engenders confidence!! (not)
Marg