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> You don't want to know how much time I spent deciding whether to use the more conventional hyphenization ("shit-ass-load") or the version with better cadence.
by mistersquid 4y ago
> You don't want to know how much time I spent deciding whether to use the more conventional hyphenization ("shit-ass-load") or the version with better cadence.
It’s not a question of “cadence” but of grammar. “Shit-ass“ is an adjective modifying the noun “load”. Your choice is grammatically correct.
- lcnPylGDnU4H9OF 4y agoCould there not be a noun, "ass-load"?
- mistersquid 4y ago> Could there not be a noun, "ass-load"? Absolutely. Had the GGP wrote “shit-ass-load” the whole hyphenated string would be a noun, which is also grammatically correct. But “shit-ass load” is a bit more evocative and digestible than “shit-ass-load”. I would have gone your direction with “assload” (no hyphen) which is a satisfying single noun with no adjective.