S.P.C.E.
Someone raises the vexed question of hyphens, complaining in particular that the columns of this journal are much _too full of them. There is no short and universal law about hyphens ; Fowler's Modern English Usage devotes over five pages to a discussion of the question. But one thing it is fairly safe to say : when a noun is used as an adjective, e.g., war-horse, it should, as a general rule, be joined by a hyphen to the second noun. But there are plenty of exceptions, mostly in the case of phrases in particularly common use, e.g., War Office. So Royal Air Force has become customary, but it is still proper to speak of the Japanese air-force. There is also the present participle usage. " Sleeping partner " is right, because the partner does, metaphorically, sleep. But " sleeping-bag ; the bag does not sleep, it is for sleeping in.'
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