September 15, 2011

• RWOTD {Hyphen}

  I wonder how the hyphen feels about the way we use it?

  Over-use it.

  Under-use it.

  In-correctly use it.

  I have to admit, I have NO clue what the rules for hyphenation are.

  If it seems like a good place to stick one in…I stick-it in.

  For instance:

  3-year old.  Post-partum. Self-inflicting.  Re-tarded.   Mini-van.  Stay-at-home Mom.  But not “working-Mom.”  Life-changing.  Sister-in-law.  (Didn’t necessarily mean to make a connection between those last two. But you can if it works for your life story.)

  I am sure there are rules. There is probably a whole dang manual about hyphens.

  Should I make figuring out the rules of hyphen-usage my new project?  I think not.

  But this…now this, I could make my new project.

  

  Freakin’ Hilarious!!

  But it could also work in other instances.  Simple move the hyphen one word to the right and see what happens.

  Let’s try it out on some other examples.

  Randomly.

  Stolen from actual anonymous blogs.

  “continually removing any and all manner of potential sleepy-time weapons from the room.”

  So, that would turn into “all manner of potential sleepy time-weapons from the room.”

   

  Next…

  “The velvety silence of a child-free house is so peaceful and meditative”

  turns into “the velvety silence of a child free-house is so peacful and meditative.”

  What the heck is a free-house?  Yeah, I don’t know either? But I’m pretty sure I want one.

  
  And another one…

  Cuz I know you are totally getting a kick out of this just like I am.

  “Have you ever made a care package or organized a letter-writing drive for a member of the Armed Services?”

  becomes “Have you ever made a care package or organized a letter writing-drive for a member of the Armed Services?” 

  “Writing-drive.”  Hmm…Would that be like when you try to scribble down a phone # while you are driving?  Or make notes to yourself while on the cell phone while driving?  Not that I’ve ever done that.  Ahem. Ahem.

   

  Or how about “There is no time-crunch, and everyone is engaged in their own activities.”

  is turned into “There is no time, crunch-and everyone is engaged in their own activities.”

  OK. Admittedly, I also took the liberty to move the comma. So sue me!!

   

  You could have hours of fun with this…IF you had nothing else to do and were creative.

   

  I am also thinking that the hyphen has gotten quite a kick-in-the-pants lately with this ever-increasingly-popular method of writing things out that I have seen on various blogs and been guilty of doing myself from time to time.

  It goes something like this:  “My naughty children were oh-so-very-happy-that-I-sent-them-all-to-their-rooms-without-dinner.”

  or you can use it when trying to express frustration or trying to get across a way of speaking when trying to tell a story on your blog.

  Something like -  I was all like “What-in-the-world-could-you-have-possibly-been-thinking-don’t-you-ever-use-your-brain?”

  Cuz the more hyphens I use the more annoyed I am. Apparently.

  That type of sentence is closely akin to the possibly even more frustrated version which involves lots of periods.

  As in “I.was.so.very.pissed.I.could.not.even.think.of.what.to.say” type of deal.

  Emphasis, people.    E.M.P.H.A.S.I.S.

  So, what are your favorite ways to mis-use hyphens?

  Please-tell-me-RIGHT-now!!!

  • 12:28 pm
  • 6 Comments