I often hear people confuse hyphens and dashes.
Problem:
A dash is not the same as a hyphen.
Explanation:
A dash is for setting off part of a sentence: Superman — known to some as “Clark Kent” — has a big red ‘S’ on his chest.
Among its many uses, a hyphen is for connecting two words: A dark-green Ferrari is not a typical sports car.
Solution:
Use a hyphen when connecting two words. Use a dash when setting off a part of a sentence.
I saw this in a television commercial.
Problem:
Hyphens and a comma are missing.
Explanation:
The noun “WOOD” and the noun “BASE” are used together as a modifier of the noun “FURNITURE”, so “WOOD” and “BASE” must be hyphenated together.
The adjective “HIGH” and the noun “END” are used together as a modifier of the noun “FURNITURE”, so “HIGH” and “END” must be hyphenated together.
We end up with two modifiers — “WOOD-BASE” and “HIGH-END” — of the noun “FURNITURE”, so we insert a comma between the two modifiers to get the solution.
It seems that the advertising copywriter fell prey to today’s prevalent copywriting style of avoiding hyphens and commas at all costs.
I believe that this style is consistent with my “Devolution toward Simpler” hypothesis. It’s simpler to leave out the hyphens and comma than to include them.
Solution:
“WOOD-BASE, HIGH-END FURNITURE”
I saw this on a Crest Pro-Health toothpaste tube.
Problem:
A hyphen is missing.
Explanation:
Surely the designer of the toothpaste-tube label meant to put a hyphen between “Dentist” and “Recommended” — so that the label reader learns that the toothpaste provides benefits that are recommended by dentists.
Otherwise, this phrase means that the toothpast provides recommended (by whom, we’re uncertain) benefits to dentists (who, by implication, would be the readers of the label).
I believe that the label writer fell prey to the avoid-hyphens-at-all-costs style that is prevalent today in advertising copywriting.
I believe that this style is consistent with my “Devolution toward Simpler” hypothesis. It’s simpler to leave out the hyphen than to include it.
Solution:
“Provides Dentist-Recommended Benefits”