European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 1, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 1b columns the stars and stripes monday june 1,1987 today s crossword beware banana peels of prose by James 3. Kilpatick no Long ago a foreign correspondent for the port land orc Joman turned out a feature Story on the aids panic thai is sweeping Europe. At lean 25 read ers sent in the clipping most of them added a snick ering comment in us margin. The French government the gentleman wrote is preparing television commercial encouraging the use or condoms that Are Blunt enough to Shock eve Liberal tally to he mangle the correspondent s problem Jay in an errant subordinate clause to was the commercials not the condoms thai were notably Blunt. The writer could have escaped the snicker by that Handy Dandy device known As the a two second exercise in recasting would have Given him the French government is preparing television commercials encouraging the use of condoms. The commercials Are Blunt enough and so Forth. Watch Hose modifying phrases and clauses they can be come the banana pets of prose. This is from a novel Marge undressed quickly with natural easy gestures and Tyler undressed care fully the boots were a problem and he had never seen a naked woman under an electric Light bulb hanging from a the Bare bulb was a Nice touch but the elements of the sentence like the lady s clothes were left in disarray. If Marao had been hanging from the ceiling the novel would Nave ended on the spot have n few horrid examples to illustrate my Point. From the dining out column in the birding Ham Ala news establishments such As the Bright Star in Bessemer for instance will have lines of peo ple waiting for seats extending outside their recast recast from the Augusta a chronicle in a Story about pharmacists who would like a private place in which to talk wild customers one pharmacist told us of a trying moment recently when he had to explain to a Oung woman How to administer a douche in front of a Small audience of let us try putting a period after recently and recasting a Fol lowing sentence in front of a Small audience of onlookers he had to explain and so Forth. From Parade supplement in a feature about an 81-year-old doctor who was much loved by his patients he read aloud from one of the Hundred or so letters from patients that Are now overflowing a porcelain bowl m the doctor s the writer could have slam la out of trouble simply by deleting from a the context made it apparent that the letter Shad come from patients. From the new York times in a Story marking the 30th anniversary of Roll Call a weekly newspaper published on Capitol Hill Elizabeth Ray was Fea tured As the paper s pin up of the week Long before she became known As a Secretary for rep. Wayne a Hays who did not come now new Yor times let us keep our non types straight. From the associated press in a Story about the death of a drag dealing suspect in the explosion of a bomb police also cleared people from the Chrysler corp. Transmission Plant where Gray worked in Kokomo for about six hours while they searched for explosives there said personnel director Tom Beatty forgive me but that sentence should have Bee taken out and shot. From the Chicago Tribune reporting the settlement in a divorce Case for her part. Or. Charan feel Rai 46, was awarded her obstetrics and Gneco logy practice a Lake Shore drive condominium where she lives with the couple s two children aged u and 10, valued m $130,000 to is 60,000." from a cd crib notice a North Palm Beach Mon Day March 30, 7 30 p.m., there will be an interfaith support group meeting for parents who have lost a child through death at the first presbyterian recast i say again recast let us keep our modifiers snuggled close to the elements they modify. Otherwise we will be astonished o learn As Alabama readers Learned last month thai mrs. Henderson had her Young son Harold with her in a stroller along with her husband Vincent and an older son Aubrey close quarters Vincent comfy Aubrey a letter came not Long ago from a woman in Flor Ida who had become exasperated with hyphens. She thought the Miami Herald was overran with the things. By Way of establishing her Point she went through the Herald s edition of april 3 and sent me 106 citations of hyphenated words or phrases. What she asked is going on it s a shame to disappoint so industrious a Reader but by my rough count the Herald s editors were right 101 of the 106 times. Let me gel to the doubtful five in a moment. First a word on punctuation generally and hyphens in particular. Let us keep in mind that the rules of punctuation do not exist for the satisfaction of an English teacher. We punctuate for one reason Only to make life easier for our readers. Thus if a comma would provide a useful pause put it i n. If a Hyphen would avoid ambiguity use the Hyphen. My correspondent began by challenging get together coming put party name Dropper Quick lunch spot two million member organization three month Effort four hour session twice divorced and Jones denied sorry a am. These Alt pass Muster. There s nothing wrong with Horn again Chris Tian first degree Misdemeanour Long term prisoner son in Law and Chain smoker. As an adjective slate of the Art is Correct. The same Rule applies to a Down to Earth politician. Prize winning students set All time records. A student has a run in with the cops a radio station has a Call in program. All these get a go ahead. Every great newspaper has its own style Book an the Herald s style Book May decree my dictionaries agree on Webster s ninth new collegiate lists 99 co words none of them Hyphen ated coauthor coca Plain. Co Iosi copayment and soon. But it s co opt. My correspondent objected to Clear minded peo ple but 1 would overrule the objection. For some reason unknown to me Webster s provides authority for Clear Cut Clear eyed and Clear sighted but curiously it s clearheaded. I d go along with the Hyphen in Clear minded. I you mkt re Brause m a a efts Bill. 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