Hyphen Puzzles

Hyphen Puzzles Hyphen Puzzles Hyphen Puzzles By Maeve Maddox A reader sent me six phrases and asked how I would hyphenate them: 1. Anti money laundering laws 2. Non English speaking students 3. Ex editor in chief 4. Pre Anglo Saxon period 5. Pro self sustaining agenda 6. Post so called apocalypse 1. Anti money laundering laws A glance at legal and financial sites show a preference for â€Å"anti-money laundering laws†: The  Supreme Court of Canada  on Friday  struck down  part of the nations anti-money laundering and terrorist financing law pertaining to lawyers, on the grounds that the legislation infringed on lawyers duty to their clients.- Jurist (online legal news and research service). History of Anti-Money Laundering Laws- US Department of the Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Anti-Money Laundering Template- FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) This punctuation strikes me as odd because the laws are not against money (anti-money), but against money-laundering. I would go with â€Å"anti-money-laundering laws† or â€Å"anti money-laundering laws.† Although chiefly a prefix, anti can stand alone as an adjective. 2. Non English speaking students This is straightforward enough. The students do not speak English; therefore, they are â€Å"non-English-speaking students. A rule applies here: when a prefix precedes a capitalized word, a hyphen is required. 3. Ex editor in chief My choice is to go with AP style and write â€Å"ex-editor-in-chief.† If Merriam-Webster is your guide, you’d write â€Å"ex-editor in chief.† 4. Pre Anglo Saxon period If I had occasion to write such a phrase, I’d hyphenate it â€Å"pre-Anglo-Saxon period.† Anglo-Saxon is hyphenated to begin with, and the prefix precedes a capitalized word. 5. Pro self sustaining agenda This is an ugly phrase that I would avoid if possible. I might write â€Å"pro-self-sustaining agenda† or â€Å"pro self-sustaining agenda.† Like anti, pro can be used as an adjective as well as a prefix. 6. Post so called apocalypse I don’t understand what this phrase is supposed to mean. The prefix post conveys the idea of after or following. The qualifier so-called is applied to a term to indicate that the thing so qualified is not entitled to be called by that term. For example, â€Å"Your so-called dissertation is only three pages long.† A dissertation, written or delivered orally, is by definition lengthy. The word apocalypse has more than one meaning. If its meaning in this phrase is â€Å"a disaster resulting in irreversible damage to human society or the environment on a global scale,† it’s difficult to see how the use of so-called is applicable. If such an apocalypse has occurred, then it should be clear that it was the real thing. The word apocalypse can also mean revelation or disclosure, but I can’t think of an example in which the phrase â€Å"post so-called apocalypse† would make sense. The phrase could take two hyphens: â€Å"post-so-called apocalypse.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:English Grammar 101: All You Need to KnowWriting the CenturyJanuary 1 Doesn't Need an "st"