FAQs: frequently asked, or frequently-asked?
Michael
wondering. Although the standard way of writing it now is definitely
without hyphen, am I right in thinking that their ought to be one in
there really, being attributive as it is... isn't it?
jcda...@gmail.com
see why there needs to be a hyphen.
jcda...@gmail.com
Most of the time adverbs with "-ly" endings and verbs with "-ed"
endings do not need to be joined by a hyphen because -ly adverbs do not
need a hyphen to show what they are modifying.
I don't believe this is a hard rule as much as it is a guideline. Most
of the time, people will still know what you're getting at even if you
use the hyphen with an -ly. Still, to make it "look good", I would
throw out the hyphen. :-)
Father Ignatius
news:1136906716....@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
No, _there_ ought not, in my opinion, because "frequently"
1. ends in -y, and
2. is an adverb.
I get this from applying the rules I use, which are:
Compound words, used attributively, take hyphens, e.g.
right angle -> right-angled triangle.
ash-blonde hair,
brightly-colored scarf,
California-based company,
calf-length boots,
chocolate-brown rug,
foot-long ebony holder,
four-hour videotape,
first-year students,
gold-buckled belt,
half-closed lids,
high-heeled shoes,
hundred-degree temperature,
late-eighteenth-century watercolors,
point-blank range,
pre-breakfast walk,
sad-looking group,
six-hour trip,
soft-nosed slugs,
still-falling rain,
upside-down cake,
up-tempo rendition,
wide-awake hat,
except:
1. when one part of the compound is composed of two words (whether or not
elided), the compound adjective takes an en dash (--) not a hyphen (-):
San Francisco--based company,
the KwaZulu--Natal weather,
2. compound words where the first word ends in -y do not take hyphens:
fairly good, baby blue.
An exception is adjectives that end in -ly, as in ugly-looking.
3. Adverbs, whether or not ending in -ly, do not take an attributive hyphen:
finely tuned motor, well bred young man, nearly black hair, an emotionally
traumatized ghost.
Do not use an attributive hyphen when the usage is not attributive:
...the peculiar lemon-yellow sky...
...the sky was a peculiar lemon yellow...
--
Nat
"Not things, but opinions about things, trouble folk." --Epictetus,
_Manual_
Lars Eighner
<1136906716....@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, the
lovely and talented Michael broadcast on alt.usage.english:
Adverbs ending -ly + past participle don't generally require a
hyphen. The point of the hyphen is to make clear which modifier
applies to which word. In most cases, there is no doubt that the
word ending -ly is an adverb, and as such it must apply to the
participle.
--
Lars Eighner use...@larseighner.com http://www.larseighner.com/
If it has tires or testicles, you're going to have trouble with it.
--Linda Furney
Alan Jones
<jcda...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1136907032.7...@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Since frequently is an adverb which modifies the verb asked, I don't
> see why there needs to be a hyphen.
"This is a question frequently asked" / "This is a frequently-asked
question". Or so it seems to me.
Alan Jones
JF
<a...@blueyonder.co.uk> writes
Are hyphenated adverbs Oy! Worthy?
Ross Howard
wrought:
Yes, in the style I prefer, but admit it's a bit of a messy one at
times:
A well-written novel
An ill-judged act
but
A badly written novel
A poorly judged act
--
Ross Howard
Skitt
> JF wrought:
>> Alan Jones writes
>>> <jcda...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Since frequently is an adverb which modifies the verb asked, I
>>>> don't see why there needs to be a hyphen.
>>>
>>> "This is a question frequently asked" / "This is a frequently-asked
>>> question". Or so it seems to me.
>>
>> Are hyphenated adverbs Oy! Worthy?
>
> Yes, in the style I prefer, but admit it's a bit of a messy one at
> times:
>
> A well-written novel
> An ill-judged act
>
> but
>
> A badly written novel
> A poorly judged act
Clue -- it's got to do with the -ly ending.
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
http://www.geocities.com/opus731/
jerry_f...@yahoo.com
> "Michael" <micha...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1136906716....@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> > I've just had to put together an FAQ, and as I wrote the title, got to
> > wondering. Although the standard way of writing it now is definitely
> > without hyphen, am I right in thinking that their ought to be one in
> > there really, being attributive as it is... isn't it?
>
> No, _there_ ought not, in my opinion, because "frequently"
>
> 1. ends in -y, and
>
> 2. is an adverb.
I agree, except that it should be "-ly".
> I get this from applying the rules I use, which are:
Did you get these somewhere or write them yourself? They look like
something from a usage guide.
> Compound words, used attributively, take hyphens, e.g.
>
> right angle -> right-angled triangle.
>
> ash-blonde hair,
> brightly-colored scarf,
This contradicts your exceptions 2 and 3 below.
> California-based company,
<snip examples I agree with>
> except:
>
> 1. when one part of the compound is composed of two words (whether or not
> elided), the compound adjective takes an en dash (--) not a hyphen (-):
>
> San Francisco--based company,
> the KwaZulu--Natal weather,
>
> 2. compound words where the first word ends in -y do not take hyphens:
>
> fairly good, baby blue.
>
> An exception is adjectives that end in -ly, as in ugly-looking.
There are many more exceptions: fairy-tale ending, jury-rigged shelter,
Jerry-derived suggestion. In fact, I see no point to this rule; your
next rule takes care of it.
> 3. Adverbs, whether or not ending in -ly, do not take an attributive hyphen:
>
> finely tuned motor, well bred young man, nearly black hair, an emotionally
> traumatized ghost.
...
I'm with several other responders: "well-bred young man". I agree with
not hyphenating with -ly adverbs (unless somehow it's really essential
for clarity).
--
Jerry Friedman
Stephen Calder
> "Michael" <micha...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1136906716....@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
>
> 1. when one part of the compound is composed of two words (whether or not
> elided), the compound adjective takes an en dash (--) not a hyphen (-):
>
> San Francisco--based company,
> the KwaZulu--Natal weather,
>
I've never heard of an en-rule replacing a hyphen in this way.
--
Stephen
Lennox Head, Australia
Father Ignatius
news:1136925016....@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Father Ignatius wrote:
>> "Michael" <micha...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1136906716....@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> > I've just had to put together an FAQ, and as I wrote the title, got to
>> > wondering. Although the standard way of writing it now is definitely
>> > without hyphen, am I right in thinking that their ought to be one in
>> > there really, being attributive as it is... isn't it?
>>
>> No, _there_ ought not, in my opinion, because "frequently"
>>
>> 1. ends in -y, and
>>
>> 2. is an adverb.
>
> I agree, except that it should be "-ly".
>
>> I get this from applying the rules I use, which are:
>
> Did you get these somewhere or write them yourself? They look like
> something from a usage guide.
Yes (to both).
>> Compound words, used attributively, take hyphens, e.g.
>>
>> right angle -> right-angled triangle.
>>
>> ash-blonde hair,
>> brightly-colored scarf,
>
> This contradicts your exceptions 2 and 3 below.
[Thinks: "Egad, Helen: he's right." Rushes off and tweaks source, marvelling
yet again at benefits of posting half-thought-through stuff to aue]
>> California-based company,
> <snip examples I agree with>
>
>> except:
>>
>> 1. when one part of the compound is composed of two words (whether or not
>> elided), the compound adjective takes an en dash (--) not a hyphen (-):
>>
>> San Francisco--based company,
>> the KwaZulu--Natal weather,
>>
>> 2. compound words where the first word ends in -y do not take hyphens:
>>
>> fairly good, baby blue.
>>
>> An exception is adjectives that end in -ly, as in ugly-looking.
>
> There are many more exceptions: fairy-tale ending, jury-rigged shelter,
> Jerry-derived suggestion. In fact, I see no point to this rule; your
> next rule takes care of it.
Well, the "fairly good" example perhaps doesn't belong there, but "baby" is
not an adverb, and thus is not covered by the next rule.
"Forty inch waist"?
"Agony wracked body"?
"Aviary bound bird"?
"Beigy colored jersey"?
"Bandy legged cove"?
"Boody shakin' babe"?
"Cassidy derived hit"?
>> 3. Adverbs, whether or not ending in -ly, do not take an attributive
>> hyphen:
>>
>> finely tuned motor, well bred young man, nearly black hair, an
>> emotionally
>> traumatized ghost.
> ...
>
> I'm with several other responders: "well-bred young man". I agree with
> not hyphenating with -ly adverbs (unless somehow it's really essential
> for clarity).
>
> --
> Jerry Friedman
Adrian Bailey
news:--6dnW5G4ZUYi1ne...@comcast.com...
> Ross Howard wrote:
> > JF wrought:
> >> Alan Jones writes
> >>> <jcda...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>>> Since frequently is an adverb which modifies the verb asked, I
> >>>> don't see why there needs to be a hyphen.
> >>>
> >>> "This is a question frequently asked" / "This is a frequently-asked
> >>> question". Or so it seems to me.
> >>
> >> Are hyphenated adverbs Oy! Worthy?
> >
> > Yes, in the style I prefer, but admit it's a bit of a messy one at
> > times:
> >
> > A well-written novel
> > An ill-judged act
> >
> > but
> >
> > A badly written novel
> > A poorly judged act
>
> Clue -- it's got to do with the -ly ending.
I agree with you, Ross, JCD, and anyone else who agrees with us.
Adrian
Joe Fineman
There is no point in hyphenating an adverb to an adjective that it
modifies, unless the adverb can also be an adjective, like the "well"
"well-known". Even then, it should be done only when the combination
stands before the noun, not in predicate.
--
--- Joe Fineman jo...@verizon.net
||: Ontology recapitulates philology. :||
Maria Conlon
> Father Ignatius wrote:
>> 1. when one part of the compound is composed of two words (whether
>> or not elided), the compound adjective takes an en dash (--) not a
>> hyphen (-):
>>
>> San Francisco--based company,
>> the KwaZulu--Natal weather,
>
> I've never heard of an en-rule replacing a hyphen in this way.
Thank you for being the first[1] to say so. I agree.
[1] the first I saw, anyway.
--
Maria Conlon
jerry_f...@yahoo.com
> <jerry_f...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1136925016....@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> >Father Ignatius wrote:
> >> 2. compound words where the first word ends in -y do not take hyphens:
> >>
> >> fairly good, baby blue.
> >>
> >> An exception is adjectives that end in -ly, as in ugly-looking.
> >
> > There are many more exceptions: fairy-tale ending, jury-rigged shelter,
> > Jerry-derived suggestion. In fact, I see no point to this rule; your
> > next rule takes care of it.
>
> Well, the "fairly good" example perhaps doesn't belong there, but "baby" is
> not an adverb, and thus is not covered by the next rule.
>
> "Forty inch waist"?
> "Agony wracked body"?
> "Aviary bound bird"?
> "Beigy colored jersey"?
> "Bandy legged cove"?
> "Boody shakin' babe"?
> "Cassidy derived hit"?
I'd hyphenate all of those. Why should "bandy-legged" be any different
from "bow-legged"? By the way, I think the part babes shake is the
booty with a t.
--
Jerry Friedman
Phonedude
<jerry_f...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1136954556.6...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
So let's have the T-back.
PD
Father Ignatius
news:iP_wf.26432$UF3....@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...
Just spotted this in _Will & Grace - Fabulously Uncensored_ by Jim Colucci:
"Will and Grace not-so-secretly find these two line-dancing, Olive
Garden--loving residents of Weehawken, New Jersey somewhat boring..."
> --
> Maria Conlon
--
Nat
Q: Why is a laser beam like a goldfish?
A. Because neither can whistle.
-- Robert A. Heinlein, _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_
Jim Lawton
As usual, I think the concepts of "rules" should be eschewed. I hyphenate when
confusion might otherwise occur. In this case, it won't, so I wouldn't.
The two foot measure..
The three-ring circus.
--
Jim
a Yorkshire polymoth
Father Ignatius
news:iP_wf.26432$UF3....@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...
>> Father Ignatius wrote:
>
>>> 1. when one part of the compound is composed of two words (whether
>>> or not elided), the compound adjective takes an en dash (--) not a
>>> hyphen (-): San Francisco--based company,
>>> the KwaZulu--Natal weather,
>>
>> I've never heard of an en-rule replacing a hyphen in this way.
>
> Thank you for being the first[1] to say so. I agree.
...and
"Pablo Toribio, a professional cyclist with a Lance Armstrong--size
personality,..."
(at http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/bony/beauty/2005/11434/)
> [1] the first I saw, anyway.
>
> --
> Maria Conlon
--
Nat
"As you know, roosters display their genitalia upon the top of their heads,
just like human men." -- Purl Gurl
Father Ignatius
news:1136954556.6...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> Father Ignatius wrote:
>> "Forty inch waist"?
>> "Agony wracked body"?
>> "Aviary bound bird"?
>> "Beigy colored jersey"?
>> "Bandy legged cove"?
>> "Boody shakin' babe"?
>> "Cassidy derived hit"?
>
> I'd hyphenate all of those. Why should "bandy-legged" be any different
> from "bow-legged"? By the way, I think the part babes shake is the
> booty with a t.
By George, it seems you're right: http://www.pirate-women.com/index.html
--
Nat
'This "To be light-hearted, or not to be light-hearted" business is a
minefield, I tell you. A veritable minefield."