# Who ate the e-mail? Hyphenate the damn e-mail! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 16, 2001, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831 "2001-11-16T22:18:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/1 "2001-11-16T22:18:20Z")
Only an fup would be stupid enough to leave the hyphen out of _e-mail_\*. If you continue to make this egregious mistake, I will be forced to take extreme measures. No one is immune from the repercussions of their actions, not even ladies who wear Dcup bras and Gstring panties. And you can’t hide from me either; I have Xray vision, just like in those old Bmovies.[ul][li]For a first offense, I’ll just take your Tbone steak away from you.[/li][li]For the second offense, I’ll hit you over the head with an Ibeam.[/li][li]For the third offense, I’ll run you down with my Chevy Veight.[/li][li]Fourth offense, I’ll make a Uturn and run you down again.[/li][li]Fifth offense, I’ll hit you with Abombs.[/li][li]Sixth, likewise but with Hbombs. I tell you, it will make Dday look like a walk in the park.[/ul]What’s that you say? You disagree with the great and powerful bibliophage? Then you’re an ahole.[/li][/quote] [sup]\*The same goes for e-commerce, e-zine, e-business, e-book, e-tc.—er, I mean _etc._[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/2 "2001-11-16T22:24:09Z")
E-gad. ---
**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:** [November 16, 2001, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/3 "2001-11-16T22:38:18Z")
Amnesty for Francophones that are resurfacing their bathtubs with new émail. But for god’s sake use the damned _accent._ ---
**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/4 "2001-11-16T22:40:48Z")
I see. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/5 "2001-11-16T22:47:03Z")
Hmmm…I’ve read “email” [is](http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/e_mail.html) an accepted spelling. …also [here](http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/email.html) A dissenting view (sorta)[here](http://www.webreference.com/new/webgrammar.html) and at [Wired](http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,39450,00.html) Reader feedback on Wired’s view [here](http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,39651,00.html). Perhaps get-a-life? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/6 "2001-11-16T22:47:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > **an fup** I guess I am just ignorent or sometin’ cause I sure don’t know what “an fup” is. I am also paranoid that I may be one. Should I start counseling soon or is there just a support group–or will underwire in my bra be enough for added support. deb–user of email so nah nah nah you can’t catch me. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/7 "2001-11-16T22:49:57Z")
[E-mail](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=99400). ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/8 "2001-11-16T23:01:52Z")
Look at that S Car go. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/9 "2001-11-16T23:07:36Z")
Isn’t everyone singular? ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/10 "2001-11-16T23:20:21Z")
> [@](#): > > I guess I am just ignorent or sometin’ cause I sure don’t know what “an fup” is. I don’t thunk you were joking, so…“an fup” would be “an f-up” without the hyphen. ---
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/11 "2001-11-16T23:23:45Z")
You know if I have more jokes go over my head, I am going to go bald. Doh. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/12 "2001-11-16T23:29:53Z")
Are you sure that’s not **a-hole**? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/13 "2001-11-16T23:32:57Z")
And to quote our own vBulletin board: > [@](#): > > The **email** address for bibliophage is… ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/14 "2001-11-16T23:50:06Z")
Little touchy there, huh. From the OED: > [@](#): > > **email** : Colloq. shortening of _electronic mail_. (first cite from 1982) > [@](#): > > **e-mail** : To send by electronic mail. (first cite from 1987) From the American Heritage Dictionary entry on [website](http://www.bartleby.com/61/57/W0075725.html): > [@](#): > > The development of website as a single uncapitalized word mirrors the development of other technological expressions which have tended to evolve into unhyphenated forms as they become more familiar. Thus email has recently been gaining ground over the forms E-mail and e-mail, especially in texts that are more technologically oriented. Similarly, there has been an increasing preference for closed forms like homepage, online, and printout. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/15 "2001-11-17T00:08:50Z")
I dunno man…the hyphen always seemed to me the construction of someone not quite so famillier with technology. It makes it seem so exotic…it’s not just mail- it’s electronic mail. For someone whom electronic mail is a major part of everyday life, email makes far more sense. It is less formal. easier to write, looks better, and makes just as much damn sense. ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/16 "2001-11-17T00:22:11Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* **[ul] [li]For the second offense, I’ll hit you over the head with an Ibeam.[/ul]**[/li][/QUOTE] I-beam. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/17 "2001-11-17T00:40:37Z")
Can everyone understand what is meant by “email”? Yes. One great big “who cares” from me. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/18 "2001-11-17T01:25:08Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Kamandi \* \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > **[ul] > [li]For the second offense, I’ll hit you over the head with an Ibeam.[/ul]**[/li][/QUOTE] > > I-beam. \*\* All together now…WHOOOOSH!! ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/19 "2001-11-17T01:25:51Z")
:o ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831/20 "2001-11-17T01:26:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > **an fup** I stared at this for a minute and a half before I realised it _wasn’t_ an acronym of my name. Good to know that **bibliophage** hasn’t singled me out yet. And since I’m the resident bitch on hyphens, I’m going to have to agree with **bibliophage**. (;)) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-ate-the-e-mail-hyphenate-the-damn-e-mail/93831.md?page=2)