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Subject:RE: use of hyphens From:"Jane Carnall" <jane -dot- carnall -at- digitalbridges -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 9 May 2001 12:56:41 +0100
>Is World Class written as world-class or world class
That depends. I'm sure others on this list have Fowler or Strunk'n'White
memorised, but IMHO I would say that if not hyphenating it could cause
confusion, then hyphenate.
>Taking this a little further, is it OK to ignore some rules over
aesthetics.
>I was told World Class looks better than World-class.
On the copy-editor's list, where we eat questions like this for breakfast,
this is called the ILS (It Looks Silly) rule. And the answer is no. And yes.
It depends. If World Class is in a headline, I would *probably* agree that
World Class Operating Systems is better than World-class Operating Systems:
but if I thought a reader might think I was writing about Class Operating
Systems, I would write: World-Class Operating Systems.
>Also, can I please have some more inputs on American vs. British English
>vis-à-vis technical communications.
I think you need to be a little more specific. If it's general discussion
you're after, we had a general discussion not long ago on that very topic
(it'll be in the Techwr-l archives). If you want to spark another general
discussion, ask a couple of leading questions and give some context.
Jane Carnall
Technical Writer, Digital Bridges, Scotland
Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine alone.
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