Re: Bug#202865: http://bjorn.haxx.se/debian/ not linked from /devel/testing

[Colin Watson <cjwatson@debian.org>]

On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 11:05:51AM -0500, Alexander Winston wrote:
> On Sat, 2003-11-08 at 23:32, Colin Watson wrote:
> > On Sat, Nov 08, 2003 at 10:46:15PM -0500, Alexander Winston wrote:
> > > Front end is two words, but otherwise, I don't see why this should not
> > > be added.
> > 
> > If we're going to quibble about that then it should be hyphenated,
> > namely "front-end".
> 
> That is the adjective form, though. The noun form should not be
> hyphenated.

The New Oxford Dictionary of English lists:

  front-end: n. Computing; a part of a computer or program that allows
  access to other parts.

The Longman Guide to English Usage says of hyphenation:

  American English tends to use fewer hyphens than British English,
  preferring words to be either separate or solid rather than
  hyphenated.

Since I speak British English and not American English, I shall
respectfully disagree with you here.

> > (Of course, the Jargon File and other similar dictionaries seem to use
> > the two forms interchangeably, but hey ... I just find the space
> > ungainly.)
> 
> The Jargon File and similar so-called dictionaries are hardly sources of
> profoundness when it comes to the English language.

Please note that I only quoted it in order to disagree with it.

> I hope you'll remember that anything worth doing is worth doing right.

I do, and have therefore committed this change with the spelling I
believe to be correct. :-)

Cheers,

-- 
Colin Watson                                  [cjwatson@flatline.org.uk]