Guest  +  42121 Sat, 14 Aug 04 02:12 AM This is a non-smoking building. This is a no smoking building. Are both correct? Is one preferred usage? Guest

	Mister Micawber  +  42149 Sat, 14 Aug 04 07:25 AM Yipes, I don't think the concept has been around long enough to settle on a term. Also springing to mind are: This is a No-Smoking building. This is a Smoke-Free building. To me, your first ('a non-smoking building') made me think of the building itself as off the weed, and it gave me a chuckle when I read it. Having written the above, a belated googling brings up: 'no-smoking building' 'no smoking building' 'No-Smoking building' and 'No Smoking building' in roughly equal proportions. Interesting question. Mister Micawber Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004 Yokohama Veteran Member 30,842 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

	Grammar Geek  +  331872 Wed, 21 Feb 07 08:38 PM "No smoking buiding" is weird. You do see it, but these days, you are more likely to see "Smoke-free facilitiy" or a "non-smoking building" which does NOT mean that the building itself doesn't smoke, but that people are not allowed to smoke in the building. If you set it there, it is sitting. Just like if you lay it there, it is lying. Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,683 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!