Open mouth

Question

The animals with the widely-opened mouths on the southern facade are the water spouts of the cathedral.
The animals with the widely open mouths on the southern facade are the water spouts of the cathedral.
The animals with the widely opening mouths on the southern facade are the water spouts of the cathedral.
I am not sure how should I put the words "wide open mouth" together. Can anybody help? Thanks!

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]The animals with the widely-opened mouths on the southern facade are the water spouts of the cathedral. The animals with ... the cathedral. I am not sure how should I put the words "wide open mouth" together. Can anybody help? Thanks![/nq]
Must you use "wide" or "widely"? "Open" or "opened"?

I am not an expert, and haven't found any support in Googling about 5 dictionaries, but here are some ways in which I would express your thought (I don't like any of your examples that is, use of "widely"). Let me say that I have fairly standard US usage. It is possible that US usage shortens adverbs, or otherwise converts adjectives into adverbials. Use of hyphens and their placement is a frequent discussion in AUE, but basically the user must decide if linking two modifiers with a hyphen will make certain that the proper item is being modified. ("Wide open-mouthed animal", for example, differs from "wide-open mouthed animal**".)
The animals with the wide-open mouths (wide-opened, OK). The wide-mouthed animals (though this doesn't emphasize the openness), but a fairly frequent expression is "wide-eyed", so I believe "wide-mouthed" is good. In AUE we discussed types of jars for preserving food. One reference is to "wide-mouth" or "wide-mouthed" jar.
The gape-mouthed animals.
I hope you get other responses, which can reinforce my suggestions, or indicate where I may be in error.
**an awkward example which implies that there are some animals without mouths. The phrase might become ridiculously hyphenated, showing that rewording is needed wide-open-mouthed animal.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The animals with the widely-opened mouths on the southern facade are the water spouts of the cathedral. The animals with ... the cathedral. I am not sure how should I put the words "wide open mouth" together. Can anybody help? Thanks![/nq]
I will echo Pat somewhat more bluntly: Rewrite your sentence. If you are describing a baroque-styled water fountain, your writing is too generic for the task and smacks of anxiety through a lack of voice. Drop wide open mouths. Add more concrete detail.
Joanne

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The animals with the widely-opened mouths on the southern facade ... the words "wide open mouth" together. Can anybody help? Thanks![/nq]
[nq:1]I will echo Pat somewhat more bluntly: Rewrite your sentence. If you are describing a baroque-styled water fountain,[/nq]
It sounds like he's describing true gargoyles functional grotesques, acting as rainwater goods rather than a fountain.

I agree entirely with you and Pat that "widely-opened mouths" is awfully awkward; how about "the animals with gaping mouths"?

Cheers, Harvey
Canadian and British English, indiscriminately mixed

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]On 17 May 2007, Joanne Marinelli wrote[/nq]
[nq:2]I will echo Pat somewhat more bluntly: Rewrite your sentence. If you are describing a baroque-styled water fountain,[/nq]
[nq:1]It sounds like he's describing true gargoyles functional grotesques, acting as rainwater goods rather than a fountain.[/nq]
Agreed. Discussion of a facade on a cathedral make the true gargoyle identification clear.
[nq:1]I agree entirely with you and Pat that "widely-opened mouths" is awfully awkward; how about "the animals with gaping mouths"?[/nq]
I could go with that.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The animals with the widely-opened mouths on the southern facade are the water spouts of the cathedral. The animals with ... the cathedral. I am not sure how should I put the words "wide open mouth" together. Can anybody help? Thanks![/nq]
"Mouths agape.."

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The animals with the widely-opened mouths on the southern facade are the water spouts of the cathedral. The animals with ... the cathedral. I am not sure how should I put the words "wide open mouth" together. Can anybody help? Thanks![/nq]
Under no circumstances should you put the words "wide open mouth" together.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The animals with the widely-opened mouths on the southern facade are the water spouts of the cathedral. The animals with ... the cathedral. I am not sure how should I put the words "wide open mouth" together. Can anybody help? Thanks![/nq]
For a start, they're not animals; they're statues, so make sure that you are describing /precisely/ what you are talking about.

Then use hyphens appropriately, to form compound adjectives: "The statues of animals that have wide-open mouths ~~".

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The animals with the widely-opened mouths on the southern facade ... the words "wide open mouth" together. Can anybody help? Thanks![/nq]
[nq:1]For a start, they're not animals; they're statues, so make sure that you are describing /precisely/ what you are talking about. Then use hyphens appropriately, to form compound adjectives: "The statues of animals that have wide-open mouths ~~".[/nq]
The animal statues
on the southern facade
with mouths wide open
are water spouts.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]For a start, they're not animals; they're statues, so make ... "The statues of animals that have wide-open mouths ~~".[/nq]
[nq:1]The animal statues on the southern facade with mouths wide open are water spouts.[/nq]
Works for me. You don't need the hyphen in "wide-open" because it's postmodifying.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The animals with the widely-opened mouths on the southern facade ... the words "wide open mouth" together. Can anybody help? Thanks![/nq]
[nq:1]"Mouths agape.."[/nq]
What? Not "Mouths eros"?
How about "The open-mouthed animals on the southern facade ..."?

Bob Lieblich
But what do I know?

Open mouth

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