Do you think the hyphen here is correctly used?

Nik   Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:49 am GMT
After an hour and a quarter's-worth of cleansing, toning and pampering, the difference to the way my skin felt was remarkable.
This is a sentence from Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Do you think the hyphen here linking "quarter's" and "worth" is correctly? I feel suspicious about its correctness.
Guest   Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:51 am GMT
It seems funny to me. I'm pretty sure that hyphens are never used after apostrophe S.
Jonathan   Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:37 am GMT
Looks strange to me too. I'm guessing it's wrong.
Guest   Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:15 pm GMT
I think you're better off without the hyphen, but since the source is an official dictionary, some experts must think it's the way to go.

This may be more a matter of style than grammar, and different publications might have different rules.
JP   Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:48 am GMT
The hyphen looks very strange to me.

Actually, the whole sentence looks rather strange to me, especially, "...the difference to the way my skin felt."

I'm not at all inclined to trust the "experts" here; this is making me wonder who writes these things to begin with. Something about this sentence just doesn't feel quite right.

I would revise it to read, "After an hour and a quarter of cleansing, toning, and pampering, the difference in the way my skin felt was remarkable."
edo   Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:09 am GMT
The hyphen doesn't look correct there to me, either. If I were to use hyphens at all, I'd write it like this:

"After an hour-and-a-quarter's worth of cleansing..." since "hour and a quarter's" is modifying "worth."

JP is right--the sentence is a little awkward as written.
Guest   Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:10 am GMT
slight typos exist in every dictionary.
JP   Sun Jun 17, 2007 10:28 pm GMT
<<Slight typos exist in every dictionary>>

Yes, but all dictionaries ought to be carefully proofread before publication in order to minimize these types of problems. This is especially true for dictionaries which non-native speakers will be relying on in order to learn how to write clearly and concisely in English.

There are actually several problems with this sentence, the bizarre hyphenation and awkward structure being the most minor. A much bigger problem is the substitution of "to" for "in" in the phrase "the difference to the way my skin felt..."

This is more than a minor typo; it is something no native speaker would ever do, and errors like this will make it immediately clear that a non-native speaker is writing, even when the grammar and vocabulary are otherwise excellent.

If this is a typical example, I might start looking for a new dictionary.
furrykef   Sun Jun 17, 2007 10:44 pm GMT
I agree. I think the sentence is, frankly, terrible.
Nik   Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:25 am GMT
JP's reply and comments are greatly appreciated! Realizing the seriousness of such errors in dictionaries as such, I would surely prefer to buy a different brand of dictionary.