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  • Pedantic English usage question
  • pegasus
    Free Member

    Should the expression ‘middle of nowhere’ be hyphenated? To lay my cards on the table I’ll say yes; middle-of-nowhere.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    How can a question be pedantic?

    (See what I did there?)

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    no
    genius ^^^^^^ bot boring 😉

    toppers3933
    Free Member

    no

    Mackem
    Full Member

    the hyphen has a lot to do with general opinion about whether it’s in common usage. With a hyphen it suggests it’s new, without then it’s common. So, in this case I say no hyphens.

    Edukator
    Free Member

    Nope, it’s the middle of nowhere.

    Hairychested
    Free Member

    Do you hyphenate phrases such as Bob’s your uncle?

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    Hyphenating’s good……..do it as often as you can.

    donsimon
    Free Member

    Is there any amiguity? If not, then I’d say no.
    It took me ages to work out “average speed cameras”.
    Are the speed-cameras not particularly out of the ordinary?
    Or, are the cameras to be used for measuring average speeds?

    Edukator
    Free Member

    However, if you use it before the nown as an adjective then hyphens can be used. “My friend bought a middle-of-nowhere retreat to get away from the madding crowd”. Unless someone thinks differently?

    Three_Fish
    Free Member

    Depends on use; perhaps? In the middle of a sentence, as in Edukator’s example, I’d say that hyphenation would be correct. If one was simply to say “the house is in the middle of nowhere”, then I don’t see the need for hyphens.

    Cooroo
    Free Member

    What Edukator said. No other possible reason for hyphens.

    highclimber
    Free Member

    I don’t believe the middle of nowhere exists so i think this thread is moot

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    I dunno. I’m going to sit on the fence in a sit-on-the-fence fashion.

    donsimon
    Free Member
    Drac
    Full Member

    I don’t believe the middle of nowhere exists so i think this thread is moot

    of is in the middle.

    pegasus
    Free Member

    Thanks edukator, that’s how I’ve used it..

    wl
    Free Member

    Edukator and don simon are right – depends on context/ambiguity.

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    Drac – of is in the middle of the middle of nowhere. h is in the middle of nowhere.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    If-you-use-gratuitous-hyphens-it-can-look-like-you’re-speaking-really-quickly.

    ADD-CAPITALS-AND-YOU-TURN-INTO-A-DALEK

    edd
    Full Member

    I have a hyphen in my surname. I’m not sure if that helps.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Is it “The-Duck”?

    edd
    Full Member

    😉

    muddy_bum
    Free Member

    of is in the middle.

    Isn’t h in the middle?

    Cougar
    Full Member

    A white hole?

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