Q. A recent article in Science magazine included the following sentence: “Every 10 weeks, Sundquist gets 32 bee sting-like injections of the nerve-numbing botulism toxin into her face and neck.” Should that be “bee-sting-like”?
A. A look at the article online reveals that the punctuation between sting and like is not a hyphen but an en dash (bee sting–like), which indicates that the entire phrase bee sting goes with like. We show this use of the en dash at CMOS 6.80 in the example “Chuck Berry–style lyrics.” That kind of en dash (as we say) “is most helpful with proper compounds, whose limits are established within the larger context by capitalization.” The danger in using it for lowercased phrases is that many readers will read the dash as a hyphen—as you did. A good solution for phrases that aren’t proper nouns is to use two hyphens instead, as you suggest: bee-sting-like.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Dear wise and knowledgeable CMOS person, a fellow writer and editor and I can’t agree. She insists that “well-trained dog” shouldn’t have a hyphen. I think it must have that hyphen. We were both pretty tired when this cropped up, so we ended up barking a bit at each other. We’d like to resolve this bone of contention by appealing to you, whom we both respect and trust. Whatever you say, we’ll abide by.
A. If the dog is well trained (no hyphen), it is a well-trained dog. Please have a long look at our hyphenation table at CMOS 7.89. (Just one reason we’re top dog.)
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. It seems that all types of dashes are treated without spaces in Chicago. Is the use of a hyphen with spaces ever acceptable (word - word)?
A. Chicago style omits spaces around hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes. There are exceptions where a single space is allowed after a hyphen or en dash:
left- and right-hand margins
nos. 1– (1980–)
Some kinds of writing (such as in some other languages, or in poetry) follow their own rules, but Chicago style never calls for spaces on both sides of a hyphen.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I understand that adjectives modified by adverbs ending in -ly are always open. But what about instances such as “provide developmentally appropriate information”? My instinct is not to hyphenate, but I don’t think developmentally is an adverb here, so I’m not sure if the always-open rule applies.
A. Developmentally is indeed an adverb modifying the adjective appropriate. It’s exactly the kind of situation we’re referring to in CMOS 5.93. Chicago style is not to hyphenate.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Do you hyphenate a proper noun + participle? For example, “the Delaware Department of Education-approved modules for Common Core”?
A. You can do that (with an en dash, however, rather than a hyphen), but it’s horribly awkward. A hyphen works well with a single word or title (USDA-approved meat), but for a long phrase rewrite: Common Core modules approved by the Delaware Department of Education. Subsequently, you could shorten to “DDE-approved modules.”
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Is it necessary to hyphenate “car-rental agency,” or is “car rental agency” clear enough? Also, the same question as it applies to “16th-century ornamental bridge.” Sometimes, I think writing has gone hyphen-crazy.
A. As we say at CMOS 7.89, “In general, Chicago prefers a spare hyphenation style: if no suitable example or analogy can be found either in this section or in the dictionary, hyphens should be added only if doing so will prevent a misreading or otherwise significantly aid comprehension.” You will find in the table at 7.89 that adjectives formed with century are hyphenated; nouns are left open; for phrases like “car rental agency,” the writer can be the judge.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’m writing an email to academics, selling a product offered “24/7, 365-days a year.” Should I write “24-hours a day, 365-days a year”? (The word year appears at the end of my sentence.) I am stumped with the slashes (/) and the hyphens. Thank you for your time and help!
A. You don’t need any hyphens, and it’s always nice to be consistent in your styling. So either “24/7, 365 days/year” or “24 hours a day, 365 days a year.” Hyphens come into play when you use a phrase like that to modify something else (our 365-days-a-year service) or when you use it in place of a noun (an eighty-four-year-old).
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Let’s say you have a phrasal adjective that includes an open or hyphenated compound, the word and, and an attributive noun, such as “sterling silver and diamond.” When placing this phrasal adjective before a noun (such as brooch), how would you use en dashes or hyphens? Would it be “sterling-silver–and-diamond brooch” or “sterling silver–and-diamond brooch” or something else? I would like to do “brooch of sterling silver and diamonds,” but that won’t fly with the fashion editors where I work.
A. Use no punctuation if the meaning is clear without it, or use simple hyphens (sterling-silver-and-diamond brooch) if otherwise it might look like two items: sterling silver, and a diamond brooch. In a paragraph or catalog about brooches, you are probably safe without punctuation. Reordering the items might help. When you’re tempted to use one hyphen and one en dash or use two en dashes, you are almost certainly overthinking and about to produce something monstrous.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. My understanding is that the word family is a noun or adjective. So if you use it in a sentence like “We ordered a family-sized pizza for the party,” is the hyphen used correctly in this instance despite the fact family ends in ly?
A. When CMOS 5.93 says “A two-word phrasal adjective that begins with an adverb ending in -ly is not hyphenated,” it’s referring to adverbs (not nouns or adjectives) where -ly is added to a root word: slyly, gladly. Words like ply, homily, and family happen to end in -ly, but the -ly is not an ending; it’s part of the word. And they aren’t adverbs. The section of the hyphenation table (CMOS 7.89) that you’re looking for is “noun + participle” (family + sized), where you will see that the hyphen is correct.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’ve read the sections on prefixes and on parentheses with other punctuation, and would be glad if you would weigh in on the following type of structure: (pre)defined or (pre-)defined; (sub)set or (sub-)set. I think it would be reasonable to rule that solid prefixes in parentheses remain solid, and hyphenated prefixes retain their hyphenation. I would generally explain such compact forms before proceeding to use them. Or, if they occur only occasionally, simply expand them. What do you think?
A. Chicago style closes up prefixes whenever possible, and we discourage constructions like (sub)set, which are at worst meaningless and at best ambiguous. “Set or subset” is clearer. Writers who distinguish “defined” from “predefined” should make sure the difference isn’t just of the “sliced/presliced bread” type.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]