Dear Geist,

Which is grammatically correct: middle-size dog, or middle-sized dog? I went the search-engine route but that just added to the confusion.

—Tim Scribbler, Cyberspace

Dear Tim,

The Canadian Oxford Dictionary prefers mid-size, then mid-sized, and goes on to spell out—rather touchingly, we think—exactly what mid-size means when referring to a car: “usually having a wheelbase of 100 to 105 inches and a four- or six-cylinder engine from 2 to 3.5 litres in size.” No mention of mid-size(d) companies, beds or other things that come in sizes. The Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage and Garner's Modern American Usage don't bring it up at all, and the Chicago Manual of Style advises readers to choose one they like and use it consistently in the text.

Now that the question is settled, you might find it fun to go back online and see how language lovers all over the place are thinking about mid-size and its family. Language! Never a dull moment.

—The Editors