Testy Copy Editors

Our new website is up and running at testycopyeditors.org. This board will be maintained as an archive. Please visit the new site and register. Direct questions to the proprietor, blanp@testycopyeditors.org
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 2:23 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 9 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Suspensive hyphenation
PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 3:35 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2004 12:01 am
Posts: 5
Location: St. Paul, MN
Pop quiz.<p>I can't find any information addressing this specific situation, so I turn to the pros.<p>Here's the phrase: "...using resources on- and offline." Is this the appropriate way to write such a thing? I know I could probably rework the sentence to eliminate the need to know in the first place, but now I'm curious.<p>What are your thoughts?


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Suspensive hyphenation
PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 3:52 pm 
Offline

Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 1399
Location: In the newsroom
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Mike:
Pop quiz.<p>I can't find any information addressing this specific situation, so I turn to the pros.<p>Here's the phrase: "...using resources on- and offline." Is this the appropriate way to write such a thing? I know I could probably rework the sentence to eliminate the need to know in the first place, but now I'm curious.<p>What are your thoughts?<hr></blockquote>I'd allow it, if there wasn't an easy way to rewrite. We've used that type of construction many a time.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Suspensive hyphenation
PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 3:57 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2003 1:01 am
Posts: 281
Location: Dallas
I'd say the hyphen is necessary to show that "on" is part of "online."<p>I've seen the same with "north- and southbound ramps," etc.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: Suspensive hyphenation
PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 4:38 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 8342
Location: Bethesda, Md.
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Nicole Stockdale:
I'd say the hyphen is necessary to show that "on" is part of "online."<p>I've seen the same with "north- and southbound ramps," etc.<hr></blockquote><p>Don't ask me why, but I would probably write "online and off-line," since we don't use a solid "online" but a hyphenated "off-line." I also would probably write "northbound and southbound" because, well, I would.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: Suspensive hyphenation
PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 4:51 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2003 1:01 am
Posts: 281
Location: Dallas
But the question is, how would you punctuate what's given? Pretend it's in a quote you have to use.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: Suspensive hyphenation
PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 5:09 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 8342
Location: Bethesda, Md.
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Nicole Stockdale:
But the question is, how would you punctuate what's given? Pretend it's in a quote you have to use.<hr></blockquote><p>"On- and off-line."


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: Suspensive hyphenation
PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 5:52 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2004 12:01 am
Posts: 5
Location: St. Paul, MN
You would punctuate it that way, even though AP style calls for no hyphen in "online" or "offline"? ("Offline," by the way, is an admitted exception to the Webster's Dictionary preference.)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Suspensive hyphenation
PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 9:08 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 1775
Location: Baltimore
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>
You would punctuate it that way, even though AP style calls for no hyphen in "online" or "offline"? ("Offline," by the way, is an admitted exception to the Webster's Dictionary preference.)<hr></blockquote><p>not all publications or individuals are bound to AP style or a particular dictionary.<p>many publications lack rules beyond following AP or a particular dictionary; some don't even specify that much.<p>rules about "online" and "offline" are still all over the place. at this point, consistency within a publication and clarity for the reader's sake are the most important points.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: Suspensive hyphenation
PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:37 am 
Offline

Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 836
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
I'd say it is equivalent to full- and part-time work.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 9 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group

What They're Saying




Useful Links