I have been indexing the 1940 census for the last month or so, and have constantly had one phrase marked as incorrect that I don't believe should be, nor is incorrect. Perhaps someone on this list can confirm the correct way to write the term "Son in Law", or "Mother in Law" . Those who review my indexing entries insist the these phrases should be entered as "Son-In-Law" or "Mother-in-Law", always using the hyphens. I don't believe the hyphens are required grammatically. If you know the RULES for spelling these terms please enlighten me, or give me the "ammunition" to refute the insistence upon using them. Thank You Jim "Some are motivated by the stick, others by the carrot, but no one is motivated by carrot sticks."

Sorry, Jim but I agree with those critiquing your work. The hyphens stay. Think on this: mother in law could be thought of as the legal description of mother whereas mother-in-law clearly makes this one person, one entity. Mother-inlaw might get by an editor but mother-in-law is better. Sort of like ne'er-do-well. I have the Chicago Manual of Style around here somewhere and that tome would have a clear statement. Gale Gorman Houston On Apr 21, 2012, at 7:37 AM, Jim Tarbet wrote: I have been indexing the 1940 census for the last month or so, and have constantly had one phrase marked as incorrect that I don't believe should be, nor is incorrect. Perhaps someone on this list can confirm the correct way to write the term "Son in Law", or "Mother in Law" . Those who review my indexing entries insist the these phrases should be entered as "Son-In-Law" or "Mother-in-Law", always using the hyphens. I don't believe the hyphens are required grammatically. If you know the RULES for spelling these terms please enlighten me, or give me the "ammunition" to refute the insistence upon using them. Thank You Jim "Some are motivated by the stick, others by the carrot, but no one is motivated by carrot sticks."

My 1950s Webster dictionary says "mother-in-law" is correct. My 1947 college grammar book says to "hyphenate words chiefly to express a unit idea or to avoid ambiguity." Alta On 4/21/2012 7:37 AM, Jim Tarbet wrote: > I have been indexing the 1940 census for the last month or so, and have > constantly had one phrase marked as incorrect that I don't believe > should be, nor is incorrect. Perhaps someone on this list can confirm > the correct way to write the term "Son in Law", or "Mother in Law" . > Those who review my indexing entries insist the these phrases should be > entered as "Son-In-Law" or "Mother-in-Law", always using the hyphens. > I don't believe the hyphens are required grammatically. If you know the > RULES for spelling these terms please enlighten me, or give me the > "ammunition" to refute the insistence upon using them. > > Thank You > > Jim > > "Some are motivated by the stick, others by the carrot, but no one is > motivated by carrot sticks." > ===== > If you would prefer digest mode to mail mode, drop a note to roots-admin@rootsweb.com and ask for the digest... > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Jim, like or not, hyphenate them in accordance with project rules. I still use hyphenate in my genealogy. Arbitrators are dinging you for that omission. David Samuelsen, one of the arbitrators. On 4/21/2012 7:59 AM, Alta Flynt wrote: > My 1950s Webster dictionary says "mother-in-law" is correct. My 1947 > college grammar book says to "hyphenate words chiefly to express a unit > idea or to avoid ambiguity." > > Alta > > > On 4/21/2012 7:37 AM, Jim Tarbet wrote: >> I have been indexing the 1940 census for the last month or so, and have >> constantly had one phrase marked as incorrect that I don't believe >> should be, nor is incorrect. Perhaps someone on this list can confirm >> the correct way to write the term "Son in Law", or "Mother in Law" . >> Those who review my indexing entries insist the these phrases should be >> entered as "Son-In-Law" or "Mother-in-Law", always using the hyphens. >> I don't believe the hyphens are required grammatically. If you know the >> RULES for spelling these terms please enlighten me, or give me the >> "ammunition" to refute the insistence upon using them. >> >> Thank You >> >> Jim

Hyphenate. "Law" will be lowercase. >I have been indexing the 1940 census for the last month or so, and have > constantly had one phrase marked as incorrect that I don't believe > should be, nor is incorrect. Perhaps someone on this list can confirm > the correct way to write the term "Son in Law", or "Mother in Law" . > Those who review my indexing entries insist the these phrases should be > entered as "Son-In-Law" or "Mother-in-Law", always using the hyphens. > I don't believe the hyphens are required grammatically. If you know the > RULES for spelling these terms please enlighten me, or give me the > "ammunition" to refute the insistence upon using them. > > Thank You > > Jim > > "Some are motivated by the stick, others by the carrot, but no one is > motivated by carrot sticks." > ===== > If you would prefer digest mode to mail mode, drop a note to > roots-admin@rootsweb.com and ask for the digest... > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message