grammar_gremlins epitome of incomprehensibility In Microsoft Word. They want to change "drop in oil prices" to "drop-in oil prices." You know, those oil prices that show up uninvited... "Hi, oil prices!" you say, trying to conceal your annoyance. You've just washed the floor and the oil prices are slimy. "Who brought you here?" you say, trying not to sound too hostile, but not too friendly either, so that they don't muck up your newly washed floor. "The grammar gremlins," they say gloomily. "They brought us into existence and then you rejected us as illogical. But can't we have a bite to eat?" "I will bring you some Ritz crackers," you say, going inside to get them. You hope drop-in oil prices are fond of Ritz crackers. 180510 ... nr ha! but wait, the gremlins actually suggest hyphens for compound modifiers? that is interesting. 180510 ... e_o_i Apparently they do. Most grammar guides I've had say to use them (except between an adverb and an adjective - you wouldn't write "a tangentially-related problem", for instance... for "well" as in "well done" things are a bit iffy... but something like, say, "tongue-tied toad" would always have one). My dad says the Chicago Manual of Style tends to avoid using hyphens this way, but how else to solve the "man eating shark" problem? (Mind you, it's probably the sharks' fault for discriminating by gender. The misandry!) 180514 ... e_o_i Apparently they do. Most grammar guides I've had say to use them (except between an adverb and an adjective - you wouldn't write "a tangentially-related problem", for instance... for "well" as in "well done" things are a bit iffy... but something like, say, "tongue-tied toad" would always have one). My dad says the Chicago Manual of Style tends to avoid using hyphens this way, but how else to solve the "man eating shark" problem? (Mind you, it's probably the sharks' fault for discriminating by gender. The misandry!) 180514 ... e_o_i Why do I keep double-posting? (There's a compound verb, yay.) But seriously. It's annoying. I don't know why it's doing this. 180514 ... nr oh, i know they’re widely used; i was just surprised/impressed programs like that could catch them. 180514 ... e_o_i Ah yes! It was impressive what the program was trying to do, although in this case it was mistaken. Unlike me - I never make mistakes. 180528 what's it to you? who go blather from