On 2009-02-23, Chris Bannister <mockingb...@earthlight.co.nz> wrote:
> On Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 10:19:33AM -0800, Gary Johnson wrote:
> > 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
>
> But "tenfoot" is not a word. I don't see any ambiguity in "ten foot
> pole", in fact "ten-foot pole" looks weird and possibly insulting to the
> reader.
I didn't say "tenfoot" was a word. See below.
> According to my dictionary:
>
> hyphen. 1. n. Sign (-) used to join two words or divide a word into
> parts (e.g. man-trap, re-echo).
> 2. v.t. Join, divide, with h.
According to the www.meriam-webster.com entry for hyphen (noun),
a punctuation mark - used especially to divide or to compound
words, word elements, or numbers
The proper use of hyphens is discussed in manuals of style. For
example, http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/compounds.htm says,
Modifying compounds are often hyphenated to avoid confusion. The
New York Public Library's Writer's Guide points out that an
old-furniture salesman clearly deals in old furniture, but an
old furniture salesman would be an old man. We probably would
not have the same ambiguity, however, about a used car dealer.
When compounded modifiers precede a noun, they are often
hyphenated: part-time teacher, fifty-yard-wide field,
fire-resistant curtains, high-speed chase. When those same
modifying words come after the noun, however, they are not
hyphenated: a field fifty yards wide, curtains that are fire
resistant, etc. The second-rate opera company gave a performance
that was first rate.
See also http://www.nyu.edu/classes/copyXediting/Hyphens.html.
Regards,
Gary
