A review of ‘new’

2 comments July 2nd, 2008

I’ve noticed a tendency to hyphenate the adjective “newfound,” but no hyphen is needed. The way I remember it is the Canadian province “Newfoundland”: If that doesn’t need a hyphen, why should “newfound”?

Other Webster’s preferences on “new” words (proper names not included):

One word: newborn, newcomer, newlywed and, my favorite, newfangled.

Two words: new blood, new moon, new wave, new year and new math, which isn’t new anymore.

Hyphenated: new-mown (for describing freshly cut hay or grass) and new-fashioned.

The latter is the opposite of “old-fashioned,” which, when capitalized, is a cocktail containing whiskey, bitters, sweetening and a touch of water with a garnish of fruit. I haven’t heard of a drink called a “new-fashioned,” probably because the recipe would have to keep changing.

Cheers!