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64-straight games

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by shotglass, Nov 18, 2008.

  1. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    No need for those hyphens.
     
  2. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    JD's right. The numbers aren't modifying passes. You wouldn't say you ate 1-of-2 apples.
     
  3. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    Unless 1-of-2 was the brand name. ;)
     
  4. Angola!

    Angola! Guest

    I always thought if you use of it's not hyphenated (1 of 3 passing), but if you use for it is hyphenated (1-for-3 passing).
     
  5. shotglass

    shotglass Guest

    See, I really admire people who can pop up comparisons like that which you can understand. I can't do that, which makes it awfully tough to lay down the law to writers.
     
  6. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    Angola, if the QB was one of three quarterbacks passing, cool. ;)

    Otherwise, you should refrain from saying "1 of 3 passing." Just use "for" and hyphenate it if that's your rule.
     
  7. Angola!

    Angola! Guest

    Bad example on my part. In general, though, if you use 'of' it's not hyphenated ever, right?
     
  8. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    Not necessarily, but then again I usually don't use "of" that way.
     
  9. Angola!

    Angola! Guest

    OK. Well, one of the guys on my staff does. Maybe I'll just change it to 'for' in the future.
     
  10. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    I'd be willing to be we're the only ones who notice. The few readers we have left don't care or notice.

    EDIT: The use of "we" in such sentences is a habit I have yet to break in my unemployment.
     
  11. JackReacher

    JackReacher Well-Known Member

    I didn't say it was right. I said that's what we use.

    It's hard to argue your point, though.
     
  12. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    At each of the three papers where I worked, there were all kinds of style rules in place "Because that's how we do it" and not because they were right. They weren't.

    But after an hour of debate at the last place on whether it should be "athletic director" or "athletics director" or "director of athletics," I said we should just pick something and be consistent with it, even if it's spelling ath4lete with a silent 4.
     
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