No, I’m not going to make short people jokes (I’m sensitive
that way!). Let’s make some hyphen jokes
instead.
Umm…I can’t think of any hyphen jokes.
Okay, instead let’s talk about the difference between a
dash, en dash, and em dash. (And have you even ever heard of a 2-em dash or a
3-em dash?) Turning your trusty copy of
the Chicago Manual of Style to section 6.75, you see the following:
Hyphens
and dashes compared
Hyphens and the various dashes all
have their specific appearance (shown below) and uses (discussed in the
following paragraphs). The hyphen, the en dash, and the em dash are the most commonly
used. Though many readers may not notice the difference—especially between an
en dash and a hyphen—correct use of the different types is a sign of editorial
precision and care. (And hey, I'm all about editorial precision and care!)
hyphen -
en dash –
em dash —
2-em dash ——
3-em dash ———
A hyphen is used in compound words and names and in word
division. A hyphen is used to separate numbers that are not inclusive, such as
telephone numbers, social security numbers, and ISBNs. It is also used to
separate letters when a word is spelled out letter by letter, in dialogue, in
reference to American Sign Language, and elsewhere. Hyphens can also appear in
URLs and e-mail addresses. A hyphen must not be added to such a string when it
breaks at the end of a line.
The principal use of the en dash is to connect numbers and,
less often, words. With continuing numbers—such as
dates, times, and page numbers—it signifies up to
and including (or through). For the sake of parallel construction,
the word to, never the en dash, should be used if the word from
precedes the first element in such a pair; similarly, and, never the en
dash, should be used if between precedes the first element. In other
contexts, such as with scores and directions, the en dash signifies, more
simply, to. An en dash may be
used to indicate a number range that is ongoing—for
example, to indicate the dates of a serial publication or to give the birth
date of a living person. No space intervenes between the en dash and the mark
of punctuation that follows. The en dash can be used in place of a hyphen in a
compound adjective when one of its elements consists of an open compound or
when both elements consist of hyphenated compounds. This editorial nicety may
go unnoticed by the majority of readers; nonetheless, it is intended to signal
a more comprehensive link than a hyphen would. It should be used sparingly, and
only when a more elegant solution is unavailable. The en dash is sometimes used
as a minus sign, but minus signs and en dashes are distinct characters (defined
by the Unicode standard as U+2212 and U+2013, respectively). Both the characters
themselves and the spacing around them may differ; moreover, substituting any
character for another may hinder searches in electronic publications. Thus it
is best to use the correct character, especially in mathematical copy.
The em dash, often simply called the dash, is the most
commonly used and most versatile of the dashes. Em dashes are used to set off
an amplifying or explanatory element and in that sense can function as an
alternative to parentheses, commas , or a colon —especially
when an abrupt break in thought is called for. An em dash is occasionally used
to set off an introductory noun, or a series of nouns, from a pronoun that
introduces the main clause. An em dash or a pair of em dashes may indicate a
sudden break in thought or sentence structure or an interruption in dialogue.
(Where a faltering rather than sudden break is intended, suspension points may
be used.) An em dash may be used before expressions such as that is or namely.
In modern usage, if the context calls for an em dash where a comma would
ordinarily separate a dependent clause from an independent clause, the comma is
omitted. Likewise, if an em dash is used at the end of quoted material to
indicate an interruption, the comma can be safely omitted before the words that
identify the speaker. In modern usage, a question mark or an exclamation point—but never a comma, a colon, or a semicolon, and rarely a
period—may precede an em dash.
A 2-em dash represents a missing word or part of a word,
either omitted to disguise a name (or occasionally an expletive) or else
missing from or illegible in quoted or reprinted material. When a whole word is
missing, space appears on both sides of the dash. When only part of a word is
missing, no space appears between the dash and the existing part (or parts) of
the word; when the dash represents the end of a word, a space follows it
(unless a period or other punctuation immediately follows). Although a 2-em
dash sometimes represents material to be supplied, it should not be confused
with a blank line to be filled in; a blank in a form should appear as an
underscore (e.g., ____).
In a bibliography, a 3-em dash followed by a period
represents the same author or editor named in the preceding entry.
When I'm proofing a manuscript, I often find myself fixing hyphens to em dashes. I do this by using the alt code for it. Simply put, I hold down the Alt key and type 0151 while that Alt key is still held down. This way, I know for sure the author will have a true em dash, not just what looks like a em dash.
And I have to say, I love the versatility of the em dash. When one character interrupts another-time for an em dash. When a character's dialogue is stopped short by something they see-time for an em dash. When it's time for an appositive-you know, something too good to leave out-time for an em dash.
And to reward you for reading this entire post, here's a little something that made me smile. Of course, I'm just twisted that way.
