About Hyphens

There's Only One Child Myth

What I'm pretty sure Time is talking about is "the only-child myth." A myth about only children, not the only myth about children.

(If anyone cites "the '-ly' rule" as an excuse for this ridiculous refusal to hyphenate, I'm going to, in the words of a certain Holly Hunter character, lose it.) 

From Bill Walsh's Blogslot: http://theslot.blogspot.com/2010/07/theres-only-one-child-myth.html

The Hyphen & Striped Socks Rule

Subject: Hyphens

OK, so I read the Punctuation Guide in the AP Stylebook for hyphens but am still having difficulty.

Is it, "She trades black-and-white striped socks for . . ." 

or is it,

"She trades black- and white-striped socks for . . . ?"
Can you tell me which is correct, and why?
Sorry. :( This is just a bit tricky to me, and other jou-peers are equally perplexed.

Thank you.

A very good question. It is a matter of logic.

If you say black-and-white-striped (note hyphen after white) socks, you mean socks that have both black and white stripes.

If you say black- and white-striped socks (note the space after black and no hyphen after the “and”), you mean socks that have black stripes and other socks that have white stripes.

Hope this helps
Dr. R

JAIL VS. PRISON: THE DIFFERENCE

According to AP:

Prison is a generic term that may be applied to the maximum security institutions or reformatories. All such facilities confine people serving sentences for felonies.

A jail is a facility normally used to confine people serving sentences for misdemeanors, persons awaiting trial or sentencing on either felony or misdemeanor charges, and persons confined for civil matters such as failure to pay alimony and other types of contempt of court.

See also:

http://www.criminal-law-lawyer-source.com/terms/jail-prison-difference.html

Alphabet Soup Rule

See this link: http://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11178/171/tips.htm#alphabetsoup

Violations:

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association is investigating. If wrongdoing is found, penalties could include probation, fines or loss of home games.

"It's really hard to fathom in this day and time," NCHSAA spokesman Rick Strunk said.

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ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - Alachua County has become a partner with The Hippodrome Theater and GoGreenNation.org in presenting the first annual Gainesville Environmental Film and Arts Festival (GEFAF).

GEFAF, running from March 19 to 28, features environmental and documentaries films in an outdoor environmental fair with music, art, food, eco-information booths and a free family film on March 27.

"This event was organized to raise awareness of environmental issues in our North Florida region," said GEFAF Co-Director Trish Riley. "We want to inspire our community to address environmental issues through lifestyle adjustments, business and the arts."

GEFAF is still actively recruiting volunteers from all backgrounds and seeking local sponsors.

To visit the GEFAF website, go to http://gefaf.org and scroll down to see information on becoming a VIP Festival Pass Holder.