a thousand-foot wire

[nekocat]

He crossed Niagara Falls on a thousand-foot wire in ten minutes.

Does this "a" belong to "a wire" or "a thousand foot"?

Also, can we write "...on a a-thousand-foot wire..." or "...on a one-thousand-foot wire..."?

 

[nice gaijin]

"thousand-foot wire" should be treated as a single noun, as "thousand-foot" simply describes the wire. so "a" belongs to "thousand-foot wire."

also, I would not write it any other way. "a-thousand-foot" makes no sense, and putting "one" in there is unnecessary and unnatural.

 

[nekocat]

ありがとっす！猫好き同士気が合いそうっすね！

 

[Sarapva]

If it was written, like in an article, it would be more clear to say "on a one-thousand-foot wire". I don't think "a" means "one" in this case. "A" would belong to "wire".