Em Dash It All
I hold language in high regard, but as I look through these assorted pieces of this opus (or is it corpus?) of words, I see I have been rather cavalier about grammar and mechanics. It is time to pay the piper and do a number of search-and-replace repairs. One about which I have an unanswered question is the em-dash. This is rendered in my blog editor (NoteTab Pro) by using two hypens. Many of the book segments are blog posts pasted from NoteTab into Word for revision. But in come those pesky hyphens that should be one unbroken longer em-dash. Here's my question:
Are there any spaces on either side of the em-dash or do the two words on either side abut right up to the dash? I think the latter is the case, so I'll have to not only search and replace all the hyphens but all the already present dashes that have spaces on one side or the other or both.
So, editors, do you agree: no spaces bounding the dash? Hmmm?
Comments
I think you're correct that there is no space on either side of the em dash. But I also think that either way is "proper," as long as you adhere to one way throughout.
Posted by: Reno | January 9, 2006 10:15 AM
According to my trusty punctuation book that I use for medical transcription, "Punctuation Plain and Simple," there are no spaces.
"Along with keeping punctuation at a minimum and in a logical pattern is the necessity to use correct spacing. For example, the em dash (--) and the en dash (-) or hyphen have no spaces before or after them."
Interestingly, I noticed that our local newspaper uses spaces with the em dash and no spaces with the hyphen - and not just for the purpose of full justification. Should we tell them? :-)
Posted by: M. Lawless | January 9, 2006 11:05 AM
Yeah, no spaces is proper in PRINT. But this is the web, and most browsers are not smart enough to break an emdash enclosed word when a wrap needs to happen. Most modern browsers WILL break for a hyphen.
So, in all my web work, I put spaces in between emdashes. Print stylebook go hang!
Posted by: Pascale Soleil | January 9, 2006 12:10 PM
Fred
For some reason I do not understand, your Blog has ceased to be up-dated by Bloglines, which is the aggregator I use. The last entry shown is for December 14, 2005. Can you help me get back on track?
Thanks
Posted by: Clarence | January 9, 2006 2:02 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, Fred, but you are hoping to PRINT this book, are you not? I believe you even mentioned a coffee table book.
Posted by: M. Lawless | January 9, 2006 3:40 PM
The advice you've gotten so far is correct, Fred. In print (books) the style is usually a true em dash with no spaces. Here's what the Chicago Manual of Style (the Bible of book publishing style) says: "Editors should watch spacing around dashes. Hyphens and en dashes, and em dashes within sentences, should be set with no extra space on either side."
But strange looking things happen online if you use that style, so when I write e-mail messages and Web site material, often I do put a space on each side of the dash. In fact, I sometimes use an en dash, or a single hyphen, with spaces for online stuff, since an em dash or double hyphen with spaces looks too long and clunky.
Posted by: Lin B | January 9, 2006 7:51 PM
Fred, You opened a can of worms with this one. The answer to your question about spaces either side of the em dash is: It depends. The newspaper referenced above is correct in that it follows the AP style for em dashes; the Chicago Manual of Style is correct for other print usage. Here's something I found via Google regarding web style:
Use em-dashes (either coded as a dash (—) or typed as two hyphens (--) to set off distinct thoughts within a sentence. In general, try to rephrase your thoughts to avoid this construction. Where used, treat an em-dash as a word, with a space on either side.
Basically, it depends on the end use for what you're writing. My two cents.
Posted by: James | January 10, 2006 2:00 PM
I can't believe that I've never even noticed that there are normally no spaces around the dashes in print!
I'm having the same problem with Bloglines as the other commenter, by the way. It keeps saying that you haven't written anything new!
Posted by: Rurality | January 12, 2006 12:32 PM