After some years of assiduous and quite critical study of the compounding of words, I have come to the conclusion that the American way is to reduce hyphening to a minimum and either "say it fast" by solidfying or streamline the words by using the open or two-word form. The hyphen is like the old-fashioned coupling pin with which railroad cars were hooked up into trains. The comparison will not stand elaboration, but it is useful to us for the moment in sidelighting the argument.1
1The old-fashioned hypheners would probably have written coupling-pin, railroad-cars, side-lighting.
(page 13)