Archive for August 27th, 2012

Naturally Yogurt Flavor

[happy music]
Hello again everyone! Welcome to another episode of Hyphen-Man!

[suspenseful music]
Today’s case involves a box. A cereal box. See for yourselves:

Text from a yogurt Cheerios box that describes it as a naturally yogurt flavored coating

Transcript – the box says:
Sweetened Whole Grain Oat Cereal
with a Naturally Yogurt Flavored Coating

Only Hyphen-Man can clear this mess!

Little does he suspect that the evil masterminds are trying to distract him by adding “ly” to words that don’t need it.

[faster suspenseful music]
“Naturally Yogurt?” he questions. “Yogurt is a noun – it shouldn’t be modified by an adverb!”

“Adjective-Man!” he calls. “I need your help!”

Hyphen-Man rushes to add a hyphen between Yogurt and Flavored while Adjective-Man arrives and starts removing the “ly”.

The trap worked! They continue their tasks, not realizing the words should have been rearranged first…

[commercial break]
Should it be “Natural Yogurt-Flavored Coating” or “Natural-Yogurt Flavored Coating” or “Naturally-Flavored Yogurt Coating”? Oh, the choices, the ambiguity, the tension!

Tune in next week, when Hyphen-Man fixes the phrase “Sweetened Whole Grain Oat Cereal”!

So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength.

Daniel 10:8