Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you don’t know something, so you just avoid it altogether? For instance, because I don’t know how to swim, I avoid parties on mega yachts. I can’t tell ...

Russ in New Jersey had a question about hyphens: In “northwestern California landmark” should “northwestern California” be hyphenated? “I’m not sure if it’s simply a matter of preference or if the ...

One of the regular features we do on Twitter is "Why we need hyphens": phrases that have different meanings depending on whether there's a hyphen. These usually occur when a noun has a compound ...

Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: He was active duty before becoming a reserve Soldier. He was an active-duty Soldier before becoming a reserve Soldier. African American (noun) ...

To hyphenate, or not to hyphenate – that is the question. Well, it’s one of them, anyway. There’s a wide range of opinions on the use of the little hyphen and when or where you should (and shouldn’t) ...

You know how grammar buffs can be a little, well, difficult to be around? Judgmental? Quick to correct? And you know how even when they’re being quiet you can almost hear the unspoken criticisms ...

Note: I wrote this addendum to The Gazette's stylebook several months ago. I wish it had never come to that. The truth is, I'm an ardent fan of the hyphen. Where critics see it as overly pedantic, I ...

Sign up for the daily CJR newsletter. The “rules” under which hyphens are used to connect multiple modifiers, like “well(-)known man,” are varied and ...