Yet there will always be a problem about getting rid of the hyphen: if it's not extra-marital sex {with a hyphen}, it is perhaps extra marital sex, which is quite a different bunch of coconuts. Phrases abound that cry out for hyphens. Those much-invoked examples of the little used car, the superfluous hair remover, the pickled herring merchant, the slow moving traffic and the two hundred odd members of the Conservative Party would all be lost without it.
In Lynne Truss's book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves," the author highlights the importance of hyphens in clarifying meaning within phrases. She points out that omitting the hyphen can lead to confusion, as demonstrated by the difference between "extra-marital" and "extra marital" sex. This illustrates how punctuation can alter interpretations significantly, reinforcing the necessity of using hyphens correctly in communication.
Truss continues to emphasize that many commonly used phrases rely on hyphens to convey their intended meaning. Examples like "little-used car" and "slow-moving traffic" illustrate how vital these punctuation marks are to ensure that the message is understood as intended. Without hyphens, the clarity of language can be compromised, making proper punctuation essential in writing.
