On 2009-02-21, Chris Bannister <mockingb...@earthlight.co.nz> wrote: > On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 11:55:00AM -0500, Noah Sheppard wrote: > > On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 10:44:45AM -0600, Kyle Wheeler wrote: > > > [..] > > > Of course, now we're getting into pedantry, and kinda off track. :) > > > > We are computer geeks; pedantry is never off-track. > ^^^^^^^^^ > No need for the hyphen; you are not splitting a word.
Hyphens are not used only for splitting words; they are also used for joining words to form compounds, as when forming a single adjective as in "ten-foot pole" or "off-track pedantry". In the example above, however, since the modifier "off track" follows "pedantry", the correct usage is without the hyphen: pedantry is never off track. Regards, Gary
