A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots into the air… A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots into the air…

Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves. Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.

The Hyphen (From Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss, 2003)

There are a great many hyphens left in America. For my part, I think the most un-American thing in the world is a hyphen. There are a great many hyphens left in America. For my part, I think the most un-American thing in the world is a hyphen. Woodrow Wilson, Former US President, Re-elected in 1916.)

Uses of the Hyphen 1. To avoid ambiguity. 1. To avoid ambiguity. A re-formed musical group. A re-formed musical group. A reformed musical group. A reformed musical group. A long-standing friend. A long-standing friend. A long standing friend. A long standing friend.

Large schedule establishment overheads Large schedule establishment overheads Large-schedule establishment overheads? Large-schedule establishment overheads? Or large schedule-establishment overheads? Or large schedule-establishment overheads? Locally constant, linear and quadratic approximations Locally constant, linear and quadratic approximations Is this a list of three approximations? Locally constant, linear, and quadratic? Is this a list of three approximations? Locally constant, linear, and quadratic? Or locally-constant linear and locally-constant quadratic approximations? Or locally-constant linear and locally-constant quadratic approximations?

2. Spelling out numbers. 2. Spelling out numbers. Twenty-three. Twenty-three. Forty-two. Forty-two. 3. Linking nouns to other nouns. 3. Linking nouns to other nouns. The London-Brighton train. The London-Brighton train. American-French relations. American-French relations. Tarzan the ape-man. Tarzan the ape-man.

4. A noun phrase modifying another noun. 4. A noun phrase modifying another noun. Stainless steel – not hyphenated, just an adjective modifying a noun. Stainless steel – not hyphenated, just an adjective modifying a noun. Stainless-steel kitchen – stainless steel works as a noun phrase, and the hyphen prevents reading it as a stainless kitchen made out of steel. Stainless-steel kitchen – stainless steel works as a noun phrase, and the hyphen prevents reading it as a stainless kitchen made out of steel.

5. Certain (but not all) prefixes. 5. Certain (but not all) prefixes. Un-American Un-American Anti-Communist Anti-Communist Quasi-grammatical Quasi-grammatical But not: But not: Prejudice Prejudice Subordinate Subordinate

6. Spelling out words 6. Spelling out words Muammar Qaddafis name has been spelled: Muammar Qaddafis name has been spelled: G-h-a-d-d-a-f-i G-h-a-d-d-a-f-i K-a-d-d-a-f-i K-a-d-d-a-f-i G-a-d-h-a-f-i G-a-d-h-a-f-i K-h-a-d-a-f-y K-h-a-d-a-f-y (and over 30 other variants) (and over 30 other variants)

7. To avoid letter collision in compound words: 7. To avoid letter collision in compound words: Shell-like, not Shelllike Shell-like, not Shelllike Re-elect, not reelect. Re-elect, not reelect. De-ice, not deice. De-ice, not deice.

8. To indicate an unfinished word on a line. 8. To indicate an unfinished word on a line. I was walking through the woods and suddenly dis- covered… I was walking through the woods and suddenly dis- covered… 9. To indicate hesitation and stammering. 9. To indicate hesitation and stammering. M-m-my n-name is B-B-Billy B-B-Bibbet. –One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey M-m-my n-name is B-B-Billy B-B-Bibbet. –One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey

10. To qualify a forthcoming hyphenated phrase. 10. To qualify a forthcoming hyphenated phrase. He was a two- or three-year-old. He was a two- or three-year-old. Whether youre pro- or anti-religion… Whether youre pro- or anti-religion…

When does a word stop being hyphenated? Through repeated use, typically. Through repeated use, typically. Previous hyphenated words: Previous hyphenated words: To-morrow To-morrow Sub-marine Sub-marine Good-bye Good-bye

Whats the difference? Extra-marital sex. Extra-marital sex. Extra marital sex. Extra marital sex. Little-used car. Little-used car. Little used car. Little used car. Pickled-herring merchant. Pickled-herring merchant. Pickled herring merchant. Pickled herring merchant.