Hatrack River Forum: A Question for Fellow Hatrack Editors

This is topic A Question for Fellow Hatrack Editors :: [Resolved] in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/main/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=024797

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

Would "multi–award-winning" have an en dash or a hyphen between "multi" and "award"? Based on my perusal of Chicago 5.117 I said hyphen, but I wanted some more opinions.

Thanks!

[ June 02, 2004, 05:35 PM: Message edited by: advice for robots ]

Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :

wouldn't an en dash and hyphen be the same? You definitely don't want an em dash - that's for between separate words.

Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :

My understanding is that the en dash is used to separate numerals and other non-word typographical elements.

Example: The play will run May 17endash35.

But you have a larger issue: multi-award-winning is completely silly.

Either stick to simply 'award-winning' (which often implies that more than one award has been won). Or use 'has won multiple awards.'

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

or go "multiple award-winning" because then you have a full word instead of something requiring additional punctuation.

aJ

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

Or maybe the problem is that you're still using Chicago 14. In 7.90, part 3, of Chicago 15, it says that before an open compound, an en dash is used. For example, they give "non-self-sustaining" and "pre–Vietnam War." Any reader with two brain cells can figure out that it's "not self-sustaining," not "sustaining the non-self." Similarly, no one will think that someone won a multi-award. Go with the hyphen. Or revise it to get rid of the multiple hyphens.

[ June 02, 2004, 05:02 PM: Message edited by: Jon Boy ]

Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :

Beat me to it.

Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :

What would you use for the phrase "Grammar Geeks"?

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

"What would you use for the phrase "Grammar Geeks"?"

An underscore. [Smile]

Zal, AJ, Jon, I agree that it's a clumsy formation. However, another writer asked me about it, so I'm not really able to rework it. I will suggest "multiple award-winning" to her (although is that even correct?).

Jon, you're right, I have the 14th edition. I haven't bothered to go get the 15th yet, although my manager has agreed to reimburse me for it.

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

What's the rest of the sentence?

And look on the bright side: at least you're not using Chicago 13 and Merriam-Webster 9 (which is what I had last summer).

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

It's a bulleted list.

The item is now:

• Multiple award-winning firewall

Hmm.

I do have M-W 10th edition. My biggest problem is that I'm stuck with MS Word 98, which runs on OS 9, and I'm on OS 10.3. Talk about clunky. I'd rather have Chicago 13th edition than have to deal with this every day.

[ June 02, 2004, 05:26 PM: Message edited by: advice for robots ]

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

It's actually much worse in that format. As written now, I -- a casual tech reader -- immediately assume that you've clumsily attempted to say that there are multiple firewalls integrated into the product.

Go back to multi-award-winning. Or, God forbid, just win ONE award. [Smile]

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

Yup, Tom, you're right. Actually typing it out makes it look pretty ugly. Hmm.

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

Hmm. I'm not so sure about "multiple award-winning." I think it might be more awkward and more likely to be misread than "multi-award-winning." And a quick Google search shows that people are about four times more likely to use "multi-award-winning" than "multiple award-winning."

So yeah, I think you should go back to "multi."

Posted by Chaz_King (Member # 3184) on :

How about:

• Vastly Acclaimed Firewall

I like that much better [Wink]

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

[Big Grin]

• Much-Celebrated Firewall
• Industry-Darling Firewall

or even

• Suckers!

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

Award-winning firewall that won multiple awards

Hey, why are your bullets so small and svelt, whereas mine is a clunky monstrosity?

[ June 02, 2004, 05:48 PM: Message edited by: Jon Boy ]

Posted by Chaz_King (Member # 3184) on :

• Supierorly Commented Upon Firewall

[The Wave]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

• test

Jon, it looks like the little ones are a special character, while the large bullets are created using the "list" function.

Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :

I like

award-winning software that didn't just win one award but actually several—multiple, if you will (as it were)—and is the darling of the industry

[ June 02, 2004, 10:07 PM: Message edited by: Brinestone ]

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

Or this one:

• Nerd