I must beg you to indulge me in the matter of hyphens… You…
“I must beg you to indulge me in the matter of hyphens… You will find that I have marked out a great many in the proofs. We arein danger of Germanizing our printing by using them so much, and I have a very decided preference in the matter.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Excessive hyphen use risks over‑Germanizing printing; the author prefers a restrained style.
In simple terms: Too many hyphens harm readability.
Use hyphens sparingly.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic publishing
- book design
- journalistic editing
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does punctuation affect reader comprehension?
- When is hyphenation essential?
Changing style may alienate readers.