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To add to Philip Davis' explanation, you can charecterize those hypenated words as resembling collections, in that they have a singular form. Instead, they are descriptive nouns or adjectivized nouns. (Am I coining new phrases here?)
So, in a collection of Nails, (computer geeks would call it a class) one has, among others, Three-inch nails and five-inch nails(sub classes). IF I look, I may find a three-inch nail (an instance of the subclass) measures just 2.8 inches long because of a manufacturing defect.
To use the other examples, a five man team may actually have 9 men including reserves, but only five of them will play in the three-legged race.
Am I killing it to death?
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted Distance words Martin503 03/16/00 02:29 PM Re: Distance words Brandon 03/16/00 02:55 PM Re: Distance words wsieber 04/07/00 08:28 AM Re: Distance words shanks 04/07/00 11:47 AM Re: Distance words Philip Davis 04/07/00 10:28 PM Re: Distance words HSalim 04/08/00 04:11 PM Re: Distance words Philip Davis 04/08/00 11:37 PM
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