Chirky

Anality is a noun though and not an adjective... thought you might like to know this... in case it starts to bother you... but even if that doesn't bother you, it definately saves you time in looking it up.

This post is great by the way... and I didn't notice any spelling errors.

Hmph. It IS a noun. And I shall argue that I am USING it as a noun. Sort of.

You ended a sentence with a preposition. lol. Just kidding.

Oh.my.word. You crack me up.

But do you know when or when not to use a hyphen between the words anal and retentive?

Anal? More like banal as in this post was all kinds of banality.

ha ha. just kidding jes. oooh, that's a new site, www.justkidjes.com and people could write all kinds of jokes on there about you. Like, "Hey Jes, there is a big roach in your popcorn!" Ha ha! "JUST KIDDING!" See how much fun that is. Man, I am a freaking hilarious genius. I am genufreakalarium.

eddie, have you been drinking tonight?

Hmm, Heather. Interesting question. Really. I think that's interesting.

I really pondered on this, and even admit to pulling out the very dusty grammar book on my shelf. And! I have decided: "anal retentive" IS hyphenated. With one exception: if it is a predicate adjective. Example:

"The anal-retentive Eddie is always micro-managing his co-workers."
OR, ALTERNATIVELY:
"Eddie sure was anal retentive today."

When it modifies a linking verb (like: was) after the verb, it is a predicate adjective, and thus requires no hyphen.

So, there's my answer. But, I do not know if I am correct. Grammar guru? Can you confirm or correct?

How can that be my answer if micro-managing and co-workers are both hyphenated after the linking verb?

jes

did you really not know that Dr. Seuss wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

Grammar shwammar, you need to know important things like that.

Eddie is NOT, I repeat, NOT anal-retentatititive! I am, however, micro-managing my employees. I do it good too.

Eddie: Did you say "I do it good too" just because you knew it would drive me crazy? And that I'm so anal I couldn't NOT say something?

And Katie, would I lie about something as important as the Grinch?

fraek

A few comments:
(1) Ratiocination has been one of my favorite words since the 7th grade. Glad to know we have one more thing in common.

(2) In my non-expert opinion, you can either hyphenate or not hyphenate, as you have explained. Normally, you should hyphenate compound adjectives. But as everyone knows, "anal retentive" is also a noun denoting a person interrupted in a stage of development in Freudian psychology. When nouns are used as adjectives, you frequently see them not hypenated. Whether this is technically grammatically correct, I do not know, but when something is in common usage, it eventually becomes correct. Finally, if you make it an adverb (anally retentive), do not hyphenate.

Ok, I found a link online to confirm your hyphenate-before-but-not-after opinion: http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/042703.htm

AND finally, I would like to point out, as others have done before me, that only someone who is anally retentive would worry about whether there is a hypen in anal-retentive.

7th grade? Whatever. You just put me to shame. You were 12 then. I'm 27 now. ALMOST 28.

That sucks.

Sorry, Jes, I had to ask. It's a running joke with my mom that she's so anal she knows when to use the hyphen and when not.

As far as I know, you're correct. Also, there is no hyphen when used as a noun.

Blearagh.

I got through the post (barely), but quit on the second or third comment. I am studying for a test, and I was looking for a diversion.

Head. Hurt.

I would use a hyphen in both cases. Certain phrases are hyphenated, and certain phrases are not. None of this wishy-washy sometimes yes and sometimes no. Either it is or it isn't. Take a stand!

Hey Jes... This is Jes's site isn't it? Wasn't sure for a moment with what one of the ads on the side said. Yikes! Do you know what is on some of them? Just wondering.

Why does the English language have to be so complicated??? I think we should take a cue from ASL and just simplify things. Rules, schmules.

I'm obsessed about finishing books as quickly as possible. How could I finish a book in 2 hours if I'm having to look up words in the dictionary??? Besides, reading is supposed to be fun and a diversion. Me thinks this is impossible with a dictionary in the other hand.

Would it be poor timing to correct a typo? JLR typed "hypen". OK, so maybe I'm anal when it comes to spelling. Just because I felt compelled to point out two typos to my co-worker during the conference this week doesn't mean anything. (But don't they proof-read this kind of stuff??? AUGH!!!)

I'm fine now.

I feel anal for saying this-
but doesn't it bother anyone else that the only capitalized word on the cover of the Dr. Seuss book is the first word: One?
Why not capitalize the rest? Of, if it were one long sentence, where is the ending punctuation?

See, Jes, I don't necesarily think it is "anality", but rather is is our "naturality" (and I didn't check to see if that was a word) because we were English majors- and by nature (and years of schooling) we pick up on these things.

Just as a biology major could notice abnormal characteristics about a person and link them to a genetic anomaly or disease (which I also do sometimes- by defalut of being a bio major for 4 years!)

Bianca - ahahahahaa I want to know what genetic anomaly or disease you think all of us crazy people you know have

Approximately 35 I's to epress anal retentive? Imagine that. Running neck and neck with Bill O'Rielly sugggests drop the retentive. No need.