# "But Microsoft Word puts a hyphen!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 9, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452 "2007-05-09T21:30:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/1 "2007-05-09T21:30:49Z")
:eek: I sit through a meeting three times a week where the coordinator writes notes on a matrix projected on a screen. Repeatedly he has written “Mary will follow-up with Joe.” Finally I lose it. “No hyphen! Just the two words ‘follow’ and ‘up’.” “But I like it with a hyphen!” \ :eek: “It’s not a matter of preference; it’s what’s correct and a hyphen is wrong.” [sing-songy playground voice] “Microsoft Word puts a hyphen.” [/s-spv] :smack: “Microsoft Word?!? Microsoft Word?!? You’re taking advice from Microsoft Word?!?” ::sputter and give up the ship I predict that this project will not end well. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/2 "2007-05-09T21:44:02Z")
What version of Word adds a hyphen? This seems very unlikely, unless it is very clear from the grammar that the noun form of “follow-up” is intended. Word 2003 doesn’t even second-guess if it’s clear that it’s a noun. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/3 "2007-05-09T21:48:39Z")
This is something you should follow up. Schedule a follow-up meeting and bring a big stick with a nail in it. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/4 "2007-05-09T21:50:55Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Mudd] What version of Word adds a hyphen? This seems very unlikely, unless it is very clear from the grammar that the noun form of “follow-up” is intended. Word 2003 doesn’t even second-guess if it’s clear that it’s a noun. [/QUOTE] I wonder if they put in ‘followup’ and took the first option from the spellcheck suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/5 "2007-05-09T21:55:29Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] I wonder if they put in ‘followup’ and took the first option from the spellcheck suggestions? [/QUOTE] Bingo! That works. Hilarious. Please, **gigi** – tell me that the project you’re working on is of absolutely no importance to anyone outside the room. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/6 "2007-05-09T22:03:42Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Mudd] Hilarious. Please, **gigi** – tell me that the project you’re working on is of absolutely no importance to anyone outside the room. [/QUOTE] We’re just converting the financial system for the whole institution, so no, not really. 😃 > [@Malacandra](#): > > This is something you should follow up. Schedule a follow-up meeting and bring a big stick with a nail in it. Don’t get me started on the included project to “set-up” a tool for folks to “look-up” their account numbers. But that gives me a thought. “Oh, I was supposed to follow up with Joe? I couldn’t make heads or tails of what you wrote.” ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/7 "2007-05-10T01:39:30Z")
One day I will snap and tear down the sign on the lab coat coat rack. “Used Labcoats” - OK, I can live with that “Cleans Labcoats” Cleans? CleanS? I mean, I know the person who wrote it is a native French speaker, and, frankly, has abysmal English skills, but if you’re going to make a WordArt sign in six colours, print it out in 2 inch high font, and laminate it before (semi) permanently affixing it to the coat rack, could you at least ask someone to check the spelling? Please? It is making me a little bit crazier every day just looking at it! ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/8 "2007-05-10T12:05:38Z")
MS word nose nothing, if you type this exact sentence to word, and both, spelling and grammar checkers are on turned, their wont be any mistakes identified. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/9 "2007-05-10T13:18:38Z")
Hyphens are the new apostrophes, it seems. I get so irritated by their constant misuse in verbs, when in fact they should only be used in the noun form. “Help me set-up my computer.” And those signs in shops: “Top-up your mobile here.” Aaargh. You can have a nice **set-up** , but is it one you **set up** yourself? Your mobile might need a **top-up** , so you **top up** your credit. I see things like this even in newspapers that ought to know better: “Bob walked **20-miles**. He is **35-years-old**.” No! He went on a **20-mile** walk, and he is a **35-year-old** , but the walk was **20 miles** long and he’s **35 years old**! Geesh. These unnecessary hyphens always make me want to read it all run together, like “Bob is thirtyfiveyearsold.” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/10 "2007-05-10T13:59:18Z")
[QUOTE=mnemosyne] I mean, I know the person who wrote it is a native French speaker, and, frankly, has abysmal English skills, but if you’re going to make a WordArt sign in six colours, print it out in 2 inch high font, and laminate it before (semi) permanently affixing it to the coat rack, could you at least ask someone to check the spelling? [/QUOTE] That’s what gets me…professionally-painted signs with glaring errors. My car dealer must have ten parking spaces each with its own pretty sign “Complementary Parking for Customers”. Grrr. He did it again in the meeting yesterday after I said something Monday. Nice guy, but that’s a blockheaded move. ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/11 "2007-05-10T14:09:15Z")
Don’t get me started on check in/check-in AND check out/checkout. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/12 "2007-05-10T14:18:25Z")
I saw a sign recently, a professionally printed white-on-green highway sign, mind you, that pointed to the “Receational Center.” :smack: Why didn’t I have my camera with me that day? ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/13 "2007-05-10T16:38:47Z")
Hurrah, another pedants’ revolt thread. :rolleyes: I use “follow-up” as a verb lots, and no-one’s misunderstood me yet. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/14 "2007-05-10T16:48:21Z")
I think it was more the blind reliance on Microsoft Word that bugged me, but whatever. “You knew what I meant, didn’t you” doesn’t really make it better. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/15 "2007-05-10T17:25:25Z")
Tell them they need to hurry-up and clean-up their act before they make you throw-up. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-microsoft-word-puts-a-hyphen/403452/16 "2007-05-10T17:28:02Z")
I usually exclaim something like, “You’re taking grammar advice from Word? A program that can’t tell the difference between a floppy disk and a floppy dick?”