Used-bookstore? Used-book-store? Used bookstore?

Factual Questions
1

Following the rules in the dictionary and in the Chicago Manual of Style, I understand that a place that sells books is a bookstore (unlike a place which sells music, which is a music store). A sale of used books is a used-book sale.

But what do you call a place which sells used books? If you say “used bookstore,” that sounds like a bookstore that has been used. “Used-bookstore” is no better.

“Used-book store” follows all the rules, but it seems to ignore the existence of the word “bookstore.”

Opinions?

Robert

2

I don’t think you’re required to use the word “bookstore”. Just because that word exists, it doesn’t mean a store that sells used books isn’t a used book store.

3

I don’t think anyone with anything approaching fluency in english is going to read “used bookstore” as anything other than a bookstore that sells used books.

4

Like for instance, they could conceivably think that a “used bookstore” might be a place that sells books, and is long overdue for some fresh paint.

No one would actually think that, but still, let’s just leave out all the hyphens and call it a “used book store”.

5

If you wanted to be really precise, you could call it a used-book bookstore.

6

Indeed, one of the other Chicago rules is to set solid familiar terms where no confusion could reasonably arise. used bookstore

7

Or maybe it’s a bookstore that sees a lot of use. I have a Barnes & Noble discount card which gives me ten percent off all purchases. So for me, Barnes and Noble is definitely a used bookstore.

8

I would just call it a used book store. Or Moe’s.

9

Moe’s is not a used book store as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never even been to California.

10

Now you-all are confused! Moe’s http://www.moschowder.com/index.php?dir_cat=13368http://
is a good sea-food eatery. In Newport in the 70’s & 80’s it was near a good used book store. I used to buy a book and read it in Moe’s while I ate their fabulous clam chowder. Great times, I can see how you-all got confused.

I do not know, nor care, how you-all write used book store. I really only care about finding a good one! I always liked Powell’s http://www.powells.com/used In Portland Oregon. It is on West Burnside. Most of my favorites have closed up shop and are gone forever. Bummer.

11

second hand bookstore?

12

First handbook store.

Second handbook store.

13

Leaving out all the hyphens isn’t clearer, just lazier.

“Used bookstore” is clear enough, because “used” modifies “bookstore” as a kind of shorthand for “used-book bookstore”. If you meant a well-word bookstore, the burden would be on the writer to clarify further.

14

It’s used bookstore. Anything else is prescriptivism gone mad.

15

if the books are used then you could say they weren’t good enough to keep.

the store would then be not-good-enough-to-keep bookstore.

then there could be a problem of people wanting to buy the business.

16

What if they close the used bookstore, because it’s not getting enough use, and use it as somewhere to store books?

17

It’s down the street from the shopping mall that dates back to the 1800’s. You know: the antique mall.

18

You are correct that such a position is conceivable. You did think it up, after all. The real question, though, is whether such a confusion is probable and the answer to that is an unequivocal no.

19

Thanks for all your comments. I see most of the votes are for the phrase I was trying to avoid (used bookstore) and no one voted for the answer that seems to be best to me (used-book store). That’s life, I guess.

Robert

20

My brother and I made the same joke when we saw an antique mall inside a shopping mall that hadn’t been updated since the early 80’s.