Grammar Girl here, hyphens are a regular source of confusion among grammar girl listeners.

Since I thought the hyphens section of Marsha Riefer Johnston's new book Word Up was particularly

helpful, this week we have a show about hyphens based on an excerpt of her book.

Marsha's friend Mark notes that hyphens seem to be disappearing.

Not sure why he says, hyphens make reading easier.

This talking about those times when two or more adjectives join forces, working together

as a compound adjective in front of a noun.

An amusing example comes from a dentist's bold sign.

In large letters it gives this command, fear-free dentistry.

No hyphens.

Maybe these dentists intend to scare people away from free dentistry.

Probably though they intend to advertise fear-free dentistry with a hyphen.

The hyphen changes it to dentistry that is free of fear.

How many customers do you think their missing hyphens scares away?

Who'd want someone that sloppy coming at them with a drill?

Does the lowly hyphen, that dinky half-dash, that barely there can joiner of words, deserve

a whole essay?

Does any punctuation mark less emblematic of power?

If you were choosing teammates, you'd pick the hyphen last.

A hyphen doesn't even merit sand in the face.

Bully simply ignore it, inflicting the ultimate humiliation, leaving it out.

But when you see the hyphen for what it is, when you take the time to appreciate its

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