Q. Please help. Does “blue black berries” require a hyphen? What about “deep violet blue color”? We’ve had to look beyond CMOS for guidance because the issue of compound color modifiers isn’t thoroughly covered, although as CMOS is our primary reference, we would happily defer to you. Many of our publications include compound color modifiers, and it’s become a bit tense around here as some insert hyphens and others remove them.
A. You’re right—so CMOS clarified this issue, starting with the sixteenth edition. Simply hyphenate compound color modifiers before a noun but not after. See the table at CMOS 7.89, section 1, under “colors.”
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. My question relates to commonly used Latin terms. Does one hyphenate if the phrase is used as a compound modifier? Examples:
“The board has four ex officio members.” “Ad hoc committee
members do not participate in executive sessions.”
A. Latin terms are not usually hyphenated when used as modifiers, perhaps because they used to be (and often still are) set
in italics. In any case, the eye groups the Latin terms naturally enough without the aid.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’ve come across a book that uses the slash (/) between coequal nouns, as in “the
Jones/Smith team,” or “the Brown/Green work association.”
Is the slash acceptable or should a hyphen be used?
A. When names are put together in this way, a slash works better than a hyphen because “Jones-Smith”
might be mistaken for a single hyphenated name.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. In a technical proposal, would you say “400-ton-per-day scrubber” or “400-tons-per-day scrubber”? Thanks a bunch!
A. The first construction is the more usual one. (Btw, what is a 400-ton-per-day scrubber, exactly? And where can we get one?)
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Would you hyphenate the phrase “day and a half”?
A. No, unless you are using it to modify a noun (not always the best idea):
It took a day and a half to throw all his stuff onto the lawn.
The day-and-a-half class required hip waders, a claw hammer, and a signed liability release.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. We are struggling with hyphenating trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific. AP says to hyphenate; Chicago does not. But you say to hyphenate trans-American. If Atlantic, Pacific, and American are all normally capitalized, shouldn’t they all follow the same hyphenation standard for prefixes?
A. Chicago’s choices follow Merriam-Webster. If transatlantic and trans-American appear near each other in a manuscript, however, we might hyphenate both for the sake of visual harmony.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Please, please help. How does one hyphenate this phrase: “twenty-five-thousand-dollar fine” or “twenty-five thousand-dollar fine”? I am not able to find an example in all of CMOS.
A. Your first version is correct. The second comes a little too close to suggesting twenty-five fines of a thousand dollars each. Please see CMOS 7.89, section 1, under “number, ordinal, + noun,” where you’ll find the examples “fifth-place contestant” and “twenty-first-row seats.”
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Where does Chicago stand on this “eco” compound word madness? Everything that comes across my desk these days is “eco-conscious, ecobusiness, eco centered,” and of course not a single word of it is consistent.
A. Chicago style closes up most prefixes, following Merriam-Webster, but if you’d rather hyphenate, set your own style and record it in your style sheet.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. How should the following be hyphenated, if at all? Two and a half hours.
A. There is no need for hyphens if you’re using the phrase as a noun: We’ll be there
in two and a half hours; two and a half hours is plenty of time. If you are using a phrase like that as a modifier, however,
you’ll need hyphens to hold it all together: a two-and-a-half-hour trip.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I tend to let my ear be my guide—and usually that works—so I need some clarification
to ensure I’m on the right track. Can you clarify that I am using my hyphens correctly? Facilitate a
core-team workshop to discuss . . . Develop a future-state document . . .
Conduct a future-state assessment . . . Identify change-management opportunities.
A. Maybe it’s time for a Q-tip. This kind of business-speak can become a habit to the point where we no
longer hear the ambiguities. Is a “future-state document” about the future of
your state or the state of the future? Are change-management opportunities about changing management or managing change? Hyphens
should be a last resort. Instead, try writing in more natural English: Facilitate a workshop where the core team will discuss
. . . Develop a document that looks ahead . . .
Assess the future of . . . Identify opportunities to manage change.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]