To hyphenate borne, or not to hyphenate borne? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate:
When is it necessary to use a hyphen in writing a compound word?

In my place of business, it is part of our style guide to hyphenate "vehicle-borne IED," but not hyphenate "foodborne." As the editor, I am looking for some definitive guidance on when adjectives containing "borne" are hyphenated. Any ideas?

Solution 1:

I'm afraid that there is no definitive guidance available. Punctuation at that level is entirely a matter of local and personal style.

If your style guide doesn't have a rule for it, make up your own, if you believe that consistency is that important. You're the editor, after all.

Solution 2:

Here's what I do: Look the "word" up in the dictionary. If it is there hyphenate it the way you find it. If it is not there then it is by definition not a word, but a two-word, compound adjective, and I hyphenate it.