106
Chapter 6.
Scientific and technical terms
6.42.
Do not print a hyphen in scientific terms (names of chemicals, diseases, animals, insects, plants) used as unit modifiers if no hyphen appears in their original form.
- carbon monoxide poisoning
- guinea pig raising
- hog cholera serum
- methyl bromide solution
- stem rust control
- equivalent uranium content
- whooping cough remedy
- but
- Russian-olive plantings
- Douglas-fir tree
6.43.
Chemical elements used in combination with figures use a hyphen, except with superior figures.
- Freon-12
- polonium-210
- uranium-235
- U235
- Sr90
- 92U234
6.44.
Note use of hyphens and closeup punctuation in chemical formulas.
- 9-nitroanthra(1,9,4,10)bis(1)oxathiazone-2,7-bisdioxide
- Cr-Ni-Mo
- 2,4-D
6.45.
Print a hyphen between the elements of technical or contrived compound units of measurement.
- candela-hour
- crop-year
- horsepower-hour
- light-year
- passenger-mile
- staff-hour
- work-year
but kilowatthour
Improvised compounds
6.46.
Print with a hyphen the elements of an improvised compound.
- blue-pencil (v.)
- 18-year-old (n., u.m.)
- know-it-all (n.)
- know-how (n.)
- lick-the-finger-and-test-the-wind economics
- make-believe (n., u.m.)
- one-man-one-vote principle
- roll-on/roll-off ship
- George "Pay-As-You-Go" Miller
- stick-in-the-mud (n.)
- let-George-do-it attitude
- how-to-be-beautiful course
- hard-and-fast rule
- penny-wise and pound-foolish policy
- first-come-first- served basis
but a basis of first come, first served
