Today I came across the phrase zombie film maker (to describe someone who makes zombie films) somewhere online. I don’t really remember where now, but that’s not important. What struck me about this fabulous phrase was that it was crying out for some punctuation! Before I go any further, I want you to think about how it should be punctuated. Should it be:
zombie-film maker?
or…
zombie film-maker?
You might know, especially if you’ve read one of my previous blog posts about hyphens. Suffice it to say, only one of them correctly refers to a maker of zombie films (and I suspect the original writer of zombie film maker avoided using a hyphen as they weren’t sure where to put it). After seeing the phrase, I was curious, and googled it to see how often people used a hyphen when using the phrase, and if they were using it correctly. As I’d guessed, I found both, though zombie film-maker seemed slightly more common. Here are two examples of it being used both ways, both from Wales Online, and both from the same journalist!
So which is correct? The answer of course is…
zombie-film maker!
What then is a zombie film-maker? Why that would be a zombie who makes films. A film-maker who is a zombie. Which you’d imagine would be something of a hindrance in Hollywood.
When we join two words together with a hyphen, we unify them into a single concept. So with zombie-film maker, we’re thinking specifically of zombie films, and the person who makes them. With zombie film-maker, we’re thinking of a film-maker who’s a zombie.
To give a more everyday example: an English-language teacher is a teacher of the English language, whereas an English language-teacher is an English person who teaches a language, though we don’t specify which language.
The funniest thing about this whole affair is of course the fact that the word filmmaker is not normally hyphenated, so you could legitimately use the phrase zombie filmmaker to refer to either a maker of zombie films, or a filmmaker who’s a zombie. Ah, I do love the vagaries of this language!
English-Language Thoughts 
“Let’s Eat Grandpa!” Said the zombie film-maker (get it………GET IT? lol 😛 )
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Quite apt, in more ways than one :).
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😉 lol
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Honestly, I think I’d enjoy seeing a zombie film-maker’s movie more than a zombie film… Maybe, it would be about people chasing zombies?
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It’d be terrifying: well-armed, intelligent, fast humans chasing innocent, defenceless zombies!
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My grammar in general needs an overhaul. I write by ear so my errors are many. I admire how much you know. It’s such an art.
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Thanks, though I’m still learning, and I do make the occasional mistake too. As long as everyone understands you, it’s ok really :).
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I wish I was more versed. Can you recommend a book I could get perhaps? I love Elements of Style…omit needless words has made a lasting impression. In On Writing, Stephen King is big on grammar. I love to write even if I’m off the rails here and there. 🙂
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Eats Shoots and Leaves is a really good book: very informative and detailed, but funny too :). I’ve actually recently bought On Writing: I love Stephen King and can’t wait to read it!
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It’s great..he’s so open, like he’s talking to only out. First half is his story, second half, what he knows about writing.
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Going to get started on it soon 🙂
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I like telling this story. A friend of mine is a teacher, and SK came to speak to the students, so he shows up in jeans and a blazer, and the first thing he does is pull out a dog-eared paperback from his back pocket, shakes it at the kids and says…You wanna write, you gotta read. I so love that. 🙂
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I feel like there are some genuine zombie film-makers!!
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That would explain a lot of films!
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[…] might also have noticed that the word is hyphenated, which I’m not sure I’d ever noticed before. There’s no real reason for that, as […]
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