Constant Content

One of my pet peeves is when I see the lack of a hyphen in such phrases as "she wore a sea green dress". Seas do not have dresses (unless you know some mermaids who say different!).

However, long ago I picked up the habit of adding hyphens when adverbs are involved, such as in the phrase "her article contained some decidedly-dodgy content". I've noticed over the years that others do not use hyphens in this situation and so have tended to go with the flow.

I never did manage to get to the actual style rules of the matter. Does anyone on here know what is correct?

By the way, would an article get rejected if an author said "sea green" instead of "sea-green" when qualifying a noun? I'm still trying to understand how strict things are around here

When you're using an adverb that ends in ly, you don't use a hyphen.

Some sources for hyphen usage:
Hyphens at Purdue's OWL:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/576/1/

Grammar Book:
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/hyphens.asp

Grammar Girl:
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/gr ... phens.aspx

Personally, I love a well-placed hyphen and cringe at instances of hyphen usage that aren't necessary. Unfortunately, there is such a pervasive lack of real comprehension about (or attention paid to) the hyphen - in general, not just at CC - that it doesn't make sense to reject for every hyphen error at this point in time. The evolution of language also creates and makes obsolete accepted forms, though finding an authoritative source for every word isn't always possible.

If anyone has questions about hyphens, let's talk about them or I'll find an authoritative resource that explains the rule. I could use a refresher course in hyphen usage, too.

Thanks,
Ed

Thanks Ed.

My confusion of yesteryear must have some from the adjectival -ly...

Here is where the form can be used according to this:
http://www.northeastern.edu/toolkit/mes ... yle11.html

Excerpt:

Do not use a hyphen to link an adverb that ends in -ly with the word it modifies; the -ly itself signifies a linkage.
Ell Scholars are highly motivated students.

But do use a hyphen to link an adjective that ends in -ly with the word it modifies.
She is a matronly-looking woman.

To determine whether an -ly word is an adverb or an adjective, omit the second part of the compound. If the phrase no longer makes sense, then the -ly word is an adverb (and needs no hyphen); if it still makes sense, the -ly word is an adjective (and needs a hyphen).

Ooh. Great explanation. Thanks for sharing.

Ed