When Does “Grown Up” Need a Hyphen?
Grammar tips, Hollywood style.
Mignon Fogarty
When Does “Grown Up” Need a Hyphen?
Hollywood has a history of messing up punctuation (Two Week’s Notice, 40 Year-Old Virgin*, Eight Legged Freaks**), and the movie Grown Ups is no exception. The name needs a hyphen.
“Grow up” is a phrasal verb and does not need a hyphen:
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Oh, stop being a baby and grow up!
“Grown up” can be the past participle of “grow up,” but it can also be a noun or an adjective; when it is, it needs a hyphen:
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Always hold a grown-up’s hand.
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The grown-ups were whispering in the other room.
Read more about hyphens here.
*Hat tip to @CopyCurmudgeon, **hat tip to @verdantgarden
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