Talk:apple-pie

apple-pie
The hyphenated form is an adjective only, not the noun apple pie, right? --Connel MacKenzie 17:17, 22 May 2007 (UTC)
 * That's the usual pattern for these compounds. Space in the middle is a noun, hyphen in the middle is an adjective. --EncycloPetey 17:39, 22 May 2007 (UTC)
 * I don't think "apple-pie" can be used an adjective. Both compound nouns and compound adjectives are often written with a hyphen when used attributively, and with a space in other cases; hence "a man who is well liked" = "a well-liked man", "a slice of apple pie" = "an apple-pie slice", etc. (This depends on the writer, though, and in my experience scholarly works are often averse to hyphenating such compounds in any context.) —RuakhTALK 19:00, 22 May 2007 (UTC)
 * The OED (which often takes a cavalier attitude to spaces and hyphens) has apple-pie as headword for the noun. But it gives quotations both with hyphens and as two words. It gives an adjective meaning as "embodying traditional values . . ." and has apple-pie Amerian, apple-pie bed and apple-pie order. SemperBlotto 07:05, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

I'm marking this RFV passed — clearly widespread use, but if you're not satisfied, re-RFV it and I'll add cites. (b.g.c. is overflowing with them.) —Ruakh TALK 07:40, 15 September 2007 (UTC)