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

“There are a great many hyphens left in America “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, 1919 1856-1924 Former US President, 1912-1920. Re-elected in 1916.)

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

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

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

4. A noun phrase modifying another 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.

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

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

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

8. To indicate an unfinished word on a line. “I was walking through the woods and suddenly dis-covered…” 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

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

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

What’s the difference? Little-used car. Little used car. Pickled-herring merchant. Pickled herring merchant.