Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: He was active duty before becoming a reserve Soldier. He was an active-duty Soldier before becoming a reserve Soldier. African American (noun) ...

The beef had been aged dry for 30 days, and it changed my life. Not the way you’re thinking. I didn’t eat the life-changing meat. I just read about it in an article I was editing — and my relationship ...

Note: I wrote this addendum to The Gazette's stylebook several months ago. I wish it had never come to that. The truth is, I'm an ardent fan of the hyphen. Where critics see it as overly pedantic, I ...