From: David Kastrup Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 07:15:52 GMT Subject: Re: [PATCH] Edit user manual for grammar Message-ID: <86hcpcxr2v.fsf@lola.quinscape.zz> In-Reply-To: <20070612175421.GA26767@fieldses.org> "J. Bruce Fields" writes: > On Tue, Jun 12, 2007 at 04:43:19PM +0100, Andy Parkins wrote: >> - "last-resort" is two words, not a conjoined word, it doesn't require >> the hyphen > > Right, but when you've got a couple words functioning together to modify > a following noun, the hyphen's pretty standard: "rosy-fingered > dawn". This rendition of ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς is an adjectivized verb construct, like well-hung, good-natured, forward-looking, thinly-veiled (the latter can be written as two words, too, however). > Is this case an exception? I suspect it's fine either way.... Nope. It was used in "a last-resort method", namely in the adjectivized meaning. Without the hyphen, it would become the last of some resort methods, quite something different (and nonsensical). -- David Kastrup