this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2026
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The Unicode name for that symbol you typed is actually "hyphen-minus": it's a character created as a compromise in the early days of fixed-width typewriters, which has persisted into the present day as typewriters evolved into modern computer keyboards. The hyphen-minus is identical to a hyphen, which obviously has a separate Unicode point once again, but the hyphen-minus (as the name implies) does double duty as a minus sign as well. It's just that there is technically also a different "proper" minus sign that's a bit wider that you're "supposed" to use "if you can"… I just don't see a reason to bother with it.