I went to university for this? (style question)

When writing about a pie eating contest, should it be pie-eating contest, or pie eating contest?

Don’t ask and I kid you not.

 

look for another job

 

It has to be pie-eating contest. I'm sure someone else can explain it better, but pie is modifying eating, and that is modifying contest. That means you hyphenate it.
At least that's how I was taught.

 

It can be either. Hyphenation is discretionary. You wouldn't hyphenate "high school sports," for example (or at least, I hope not).

In this case, I kind of like the hyphen. But you can live without it.

 

I would hyphenate it but SF is correct.

 

TTIUWOP (of the ladies)

 

Pootang Pie?

 

That was the joke.

 

I like Okie's and SF's takes. I would hyphenate it, personally.

 

pootang-pie ski?

 

Thanks.

I went with the hyphen. Maybe later, I'll post it in the workshop… Hell, if nothing else the story will teach us all how write pie-eating contest in Mohawk (no hyphen there, BTW). And that’s a life skill we could all use.

 

OK...