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Anonymous Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

For a stylistic reason?

Hi. Please help. I think the word "light" before the word "mayonnaise" modify the "mayonnaise," not the word "packet." If it is so, should there be a hyphen between the word "light" and "mayonnaise" to be clear about that? Personally, I think one might use the phrase "light mayonnaise packet" without a hyphen for a stylistic reason, leaving the possibility of the phrase being unclear.

He got a light mayonnaise packet from a restaurant yesterday.
  

Top answer

The whole sentence is odd. Mayonnaise does not usually come in "packets". Perhaps "sachet" could be meant, but anyway I don't see why you would go to a restaurant to get such a thing.

— GPY

  • The whole sentence is odd.
  • Mayonnaise does not usually come in "packets".
  • Perhaps "sachet" could be meant, but anyway I don't see why you would go to a restaurant to get such a thing.
  • Are you saying that "light" is supposed to refer to the type of mayonnaise?
  • If so, I would reword it like this, using a more plausible example: He got a jar of light mayonnaise from the supermarket.
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5 Answers
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The whole sentence is odd. Mayonnaise does not usually come in "packets". Perhaps "sachet" could be meant, but anyway I don't see why you would go to a restaurant to get such a thing. Are you saying that "light" is supposed to refer to the type of mayonnaise? If so, I would reword it like this, using a more plausible example:

He got a jar of light mayonnaise from the supermarket.
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I can imagine carrying home one of those little packets (the word 'sachet' never occurred to m) from a restaurant after a meal. My wife puts those little things—and the jelly and the cream—in her bag when she thinks she needs them at home. So I think GPY's reconstruction using the original terms is clear enough:

He got a packet of light mayonnaise from the restaurant.
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It could be just me then, or perhaps a regional difference, but I imagine a "packet" as being made of paper or cardboard, and therefore unable to hold anything wet.
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AnonymousHe got a light mayonnaise packet from a restaurant yesterday.
A "packet of light mayonnaise" is OK in American English. Packets contain single servings of condiments such as mustard, relish, ketchup, and mayo.
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GPYperhaps a regional difference
Likely—judging from my experiences here!
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