To all my grammar-nerd writing buddies because I've been confused on this: SIZE vs. SIZED.
It is most important to make a guideline and stick to it. Don't use “fullsize car” in one paragraph and “full-sized car” in the next.
HYPHENS:
Hyphens are squishy and hard to pin down.
– Generally, you CAN use a hyphen if using a full noun before size/sized, which makes it a hyphenated compound word. You can also leave out the hyphen and make it a non-hyphenated compound word. This can get odd-looking, so be careful about omitting.
– Generally, do NOT use a hyphen if using a prefix before size/sized, like “mid.”
SIZE vs. SIZED:
SIZE:
If you are comparing two things that have no direct relationship as a metaphor = -size
- brick-size bomb
- plate-size disk
- teacup-size serving
- cat-size dog
- football field-size bed
- midsize car (often NOT hyphenated because mid- is a prefix)
- supersize fries (hyphen can go either way on this one because super is both an adj and a prefix)
SIZED:
If you are saying that something was purposefully manufactured/made to be an standardized size = -sized
- catering-sized coffee maker
- compact-sized car
- king-sized bed
- cat-sized breed of dogs (squishy one that could go either way)
