The phrasal-adjectives tag has no wiki summary.
4
votes
2answers
56 views
Awkwardness around 'go live' phrase [closed]
Context: software company training documents.
We commonly use the phrase "go live" when talking about making a system operational. I'm fine with using it as two separate words, but it becomes awkward ...
3
votes
4answers
155 views
Quote positioning on a long sarcastic-explanation phrase
In the following excerpt, would it be more correct to close the quotation after "pose"?
...and they stand in the ISO-standard "security man waiting for you to walk through the door so he can ...
2
votes
1answer
143 views
Is it preferable to generally use nested prepositional phrases or a hyphenated adjectival phrase?
I've recently run into some sticky situations involving how to write out complicated concept descriptions. Take this example:
Which metrics are appropriate for evaluating the accuracy of a ...
4
votes
3answers
267 views
“Italy-based company” or “Italian-based company”
When referring to a company that is based in Italy, I am never sure which of the above is correct. Logically speaking, "Italy-based" seems the most appropriate (since the company is based in Italy, ...
1
vote
1answer
169 views
What does “fresh-off-the-vine technologies” mean?
Time magazine (February 11) carries an article reviewing the fast evolution of drone technology and problems and opportunities involved with President Obama’s “drone campaign”, under the title Drone ...
0
votes
1answer
41 views
Game-development-oriented or game development-oriented? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen?
“Hardware-counter-based tools” or “hardware-counter based tools”?
As the title states, which is the correct hyphenation ...
3
votes
1answer
204 views
Differences between “inasmuch as” vs “as much as”
Can anyone provide me with some examples illustrating the differences between mentioned adjectives. Is it possible to use them interchangeably on various occasions?
2
votes
2answers
129 views
Is it acceptable to italicize a compound descriptor instead of hyphenating it?
I'm having a disagreement about how to treat a compound descriptor like "This is one of those everyone-shut-up-and-go-away kind of days."
It has been claimed to me that this descriptor can just as ...
0
votes
1answer
66 views
“After-midnight” as adjective
A recent CNN report reads:
In an after-midnight session the U.S. Senate passed a bill Saturday ...
Google returns few results for after-midnight, other than references to a certain horror ...
0
votes
1answer
101 views
What does “the globe over” mean?
I read this sentence in a book review. I can understand the sentence but, I am confused by the globe over.
Human history? Global economy? Her evidence for women the globe over
consists of thin, ...
7
votes
5answers
306 views
Is ‘suit-wearing’ an adjective sui generis?
I was interested to find the term, “Occupy Wall Street’s suit-wearing cousin” appearing in a May 31 New York Times article titled Facing down the Bankers.
It begins with the following line:
...
3
votes
4answers
227 views
Is “purse-lipped mother-in-law” an established word representing for a woman who is censoriousness and nagging about everything?
I found an interesting phrase, “purse-lipped mother-in-law” in the following lines of the article titled “The newspaper that rules Britain,” which appeared in New Yorker magazine, April 2nd, 2012 ...
3
votes
2answers
143 views
What is the adjective form of “black humo(u)r”?
If one were to describe a statement by referring to "black humour", how should he/she go about forming the adjectival form of the term?
"blackly humourous"
or
"black humourous"
4
votes
2answers
610 views
“Dead simple..” vs. “Really simple..”
I'm writing copy for a new web application and I'm having some trouble with it.
On one headline I've written "It's dead simple ...", but while my client was reviewing it he asked if this is not too ...
3
votes
3answers
297 views
“Hardware-counter-based tools” or “hardware-counter based tools”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
Chainsaw-equipped or chainsaw equipped?
How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen?
"One-Day Only Promotion" or "One-Day-Only Promotion"
...
11
votes
1answer
426 views
Fractions as phrasal (compound) adjectives
Is there a difference between a written-out fraction that serves as a noun:
He gave me one half of his sandwich.
and a written-out fraction serving as an adjective:
I gave her a one-half ...
