Rathmines anti-bike-theft initiative

Chuchote

http://www.cycledublin.ie/blog/index.php/2016/11/bicycle-anti-theft-initiative-rathmines/

As part of a new Community Engagement Project, Probationer Gardaí from Rathmines Garda Station assisted by the Rathmines Community Policing Unit co-ordinated an anti-bicycle theft initiative…

Edit: I think they mean an anti-bicycle-theft initiative

fat bloke

Lol . Eats shoots and thieves

tomasrojo

That's a fairly standard form of hyphenation now though. I prefer Chuchote's way alright. It turns up in headlines sometimes, and can look very weird. "Anti-child abuse initiative", that sort of thing.

Chuchote

Well, it's a question of meaning. Anti-bike theft initiative sounds like something radio jocks would approve: "Quick, nip out of the car and grab the bike so they can't ride it".

tomasrojo

Oh yeah, I get that there is a contrary meaning implied by using only one hyphen. I guess the argument for the hyphen trimmers is that, in this case, "bike theft" forms an implicit unit. So it's like "anti-(bike theft)".

Stan Carey wrote about this a while ago, supporting your style.
http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/anti-multiple-hyphen-tendencies

Chuchote

Ah, plenty of style wars on hypens. And that's without even getting into successional hyphens :P

Mr. Grieves

I think people just don't think about what they're writing when they do this. The placement of the hyphen is pretty important to the meaning:

Lumen

tomasrojo wrote: »

So it's like "anti-(bike theft)"

This is why we need to teach computer science in school, possibly as part of a wider pedantry programme.

cajonlardo

Pretty sure I remember the gardai's own personal bikes being stolen at rathmines station way back in the '80's.

If I remember correctly a Garda looked out the back and saw a bike floating up into the air. Turned out some git had a fishing rod and was reeling the bike over the wall.

tomasrojo

Lumen wrote: »

This is why we need to teach computer science in school, possibly as part of a wider pedantry programme.

Something I can get behind! Sorry, something behind which I can get.