Verbal pitfalls: a manual of 1500 words commonly misused ... Arranged alphabetically, with 3000 references and quotations, and the ruling of the dictionaries

?*■

■>

as

3;

rll

r3

tA-

.I'*^

,■3:;

V

V

v

«JKV'

o

'k

23

%

gmmo^ ^

«mJ

\\\\\\ tT1rtT=>..

•j.y, <,'',«-(,-i<MiC'j»»t'

.. I f^ •]« ?iii (rrii*

^

MNrt^WV

y<

^oxnnmx'^

§^

W/:

^

i^'

'^mmH\^^

.^,.OF•CAllfO%

,A\^MiN!V^RyA^,

'^-^mmw^

3

*-^ ^

so

-^

.^;!^^4IBRARV•Q^,

a>

<

rrt
33

.^iic iii.ii'./tnr

3>

O

?5

•^J li Jft' .Mil

V ^

^OffAUF0%

sac

U-l

>

!X5

r~s

•^

i

^

l>

""-"^ STATE NOftlflAL SGtlUiiL,
Iw Angeles, Cal.

VERBAL PITFALLS:

A MANUAL OF
1500 Words Commonly Misused,

Including all those the use of which in any sense has been
questioned by Dean Alford, G. \^'. Moon, Fitzed-
ward Hall, Archbishop Trench, Wm. C. Hodg-
son, W. L. Blacklev, G. F. Graham,
Richard Grant White, M. Scheie
de Vere, Wm. ISIathews,
"Alfred Ayres," and
many others.

With 3000 References aiul Quotations,

AND

The Ealing of the Dictionaries.
By C. W. BAKDEEN,

Editor of the "School Bulletin."

SYRACUSE, N. Y.:

C. W. BARDEEN, PUBLISHER.

1883.

Copyright, 1883, by C. W. Bardeen,

•1

PREFACE.

Of late years verbal purism has become, espec-
ially among teachers, almost a disease. Scores of
estimable people ignore the thoughts expressed in a
conversation or newspaper article or a sermon, in
their eagerness to ferret out some of the few scores
of words or expressions which they are big with the
wisdom of just having learned to reject. This
would be puerile enough, even if their newly ac-
quired information were always correct. But it
usually comes from some one book, and most such
books that have been issued either are superficial
catch-pennies, or are warped by personal prejudice

^ and whims. No one should rely upon Dean Al-
f ord's The Queen's English, till he has read The Demi's

^ English; nor should he put faith in Richard Grant
White till he has read Fitzedward Hall's two books.
In fact no where else is a little learning so dangerous
a thing. Suppose he has learned from Mathew's
Words and their Uses to say " I think you mistake "
instead of "I think you are mistaken," and has
vaunted his superior knowledge for a month or two

4 PREFACE.

before he reads this paragraph in The Queen's Eng-
lish (p. 106 ; see also Graham's Book about Words, p.
73): "We expect to hear you are mistaken ox you
mistake, unless followed by an accusative, the mean-
ing or me. When we hear the former of these, we
begin to consider whether we are right or wrong;
when the latter, we at once take the measure of our
friend, as one who has not long escaped from the
rules of the lesser grammarians, by which, and not
by the usage of society, circumstances have com-
pelled him to learn his language."

Under that sarcasm he writes, and perhaps re-
solves nevermore to heed in his use of language any
mentor but habit. Yet he would be wrong again,
for there are expressions in common use, unquestion-
ably some of them in his own vocabulary, which
would stamp him in many minds as an ignoramus.
There are even expressions recognized by scholars
as wholly legitimate which he should remember to
avoid because they have been questioned by shallow
critics whose books or newspaper articles have had
wide circulation. He will avoid such expressions,
not because they are wrong, but because they might
distract attention from his thoughts; just as a sensible
man avoids parting his hair in the middle, or say-
ing either and neither, whatever may be his person-

PREFACE. 0

al preferences, because the multitude of men would
-regard the one and the other as affectations. Better
be thought thrice a dunce than once a pedant.

Some time ago the editor of the School Bulle-
tin was led by these considerations to gather all the
reputable books on verbal errors that came within
his reach, and to enter all the words they criticised
in one alphabetical list, with the verdict of each,
and references to the passages where the word was
mentioned. Subsequent works of this character
have been iu like manner drawn upon; and he has
thought that he might do service by printing this
list for the use of those who have not either the
books required or the time to consult them.

REFERENCES.

B, GOOLD Brown. The Grammar of English Gram-
mars, with an introduction historical and critical; the
whole methodically arranged and amply illustrated : with
forms of corrections and parsing, improprieties for correc-
tion, examples for examination, &c.,&c. 800 pp. New York,
1864.

W. Joseph E. Worcester. A Dictionary of the Eng-
lish Language. With supplement containing over 12,500
new words and entries, and a vocabulary of synonymes of
words in general use. 4to, pp. 2058. Philadeli)hia, 1881.

Wb. Noah Webster. An American Dictionary of the
English Language, &c., &c., pp. 1982. Springfield, 1882.

X. William Cullen Bryant. Index Expurgatorius
of words to be excluded from the New York Evening Post.

a. Richard Grant White. Words and their Uses,
past and present. Third edition. 12mo, pp. 474. Boston,
1881.

aa. Every Day English. A sequel to Words and

their Uses" 12mo, pp. .544. Boston, 18SI.

b. G. Washington Moon. The Dean's English. A
criticism on the Dean of Canterbury's essays on the Queen's
English. Fourth edition. 16mo, pp. 226. London.

c. William C. Hodgson. Errors in the Use of English.
12mo, pp. 266, Edinburgh, 1881.

d. Edward S. Gould. Good English; or popular errors
in language. Revised edition. 12mo. pp. 226. New York,
1880.

e. Hester Lynch Piozzi. British Synonomy; or an
attempt at regulating the choice of words in familiar con-
versation. 8vo, 2 vols, pp. 423, 416. London, 1794.

REFERENCES. 7

f. William SwiNTON. Rambles among Words; their
Poetry, History, and Wisdom. Revised edition. 16mo, pp.
302. New York, 1877.

g. L. P. Meredith. Every-day Errors of Speech. 16mo,
pp.96. Philadelphia, 1874.

h. Walter Savage Landor. Imaginary Conversa-
tions. 12mo, 5 vols. Boston, 1882.

i. Henry Alford. A Plea for The Queen's English.
Stray notes on speaking and spelling. Eleventh thousand.
16nio, pp. 303. London, 1881.

k. Richard Whately. A Selection of English Syno-
nymes. 12mo, pp. 179. Boston, 1875.

m. Alexander Bain. English Grammar as bearing
upon Composition. 12mo, pp. 358. New York.

n. Parry' Gwy'nne. A Word to the Wise, or Hints on
the Current Improprieties in Writing and Speaking. 24mo,
pp. 47, published as part of z.

0. Wm. D. Whitney. Oriental and Linguistic Statis-
tics. The Veda; the Avesta; the Science of Language.
12mo, pp. 420. New York, 1874.

00. The same. Second Series, 12mo, pp. 441,

New York, 1875.

p. R. C. Trench. A Select Glossary of English Words,
used formerly in senses different from their present.
Third edition. 16mo, pp. 229. London, ISO...

pp. English, Past and Present. Eight i lectures.

Eighth edition. 16mo, pp. 342. London, 1873.

ppp. On Words. Supplee's Edition. 12mo, pp.

400. New York, 1881.

r. William Matthews. Words; their Use and their
Abuse. Sixteenth Thousand. 12mo, pp. 384. Chicago, 1880.

s. W. L. Black LEY'. Word Gossip: a series of familiar
essays on words and their peculiarities. 16mo, pp. 234.
London, 1869.

t. M. ScHELE DE Vere. Studics in English; or
glimpses of the intei-ior life of our language. Third Edi-
tion. 12mo, pp. 365. New York, 1872.

tt. AmericanLsras; the English of the New World

12mo, pp. 685. New York, 1872.

8 REFERENCES.

V. FiTZEDAVARD Hall. Modcm English. 12mo, pp.
394. New York, 1873.

vv. Recent Exemplifications of False Pliilology.

8vo, pp. 124. New York, 1872.

w. George P. Marsh. Lectures on the English Lan-
guage. First Series. Fourth Editiolf 8vo, pp. 725. New
York, 1863.

WW. The Origin and History of the English Lan-
guage. 8vo, pp. 589. New York, 1862.
y X. Alfred Ayres (?>. The Verbalist; a manual de-
voted to brief discussions of the right and the wrong use
of words, and to some other matters of interest to those
who would speak and write with propriety. 24mo, pp. 220.
New York. 1882.
' -- y. G. F. Graham. A Book about Words. 16mo, pp.
242. London, 1869. ,' J ''

z. Andrew Peabodt. Conversation, its faults and
graces. 24mo, pp. 147. Boston, 1882.

Note.— The selection of the type shows the verdict of the
two dictionaries, heavy-faced letters indicating that the
use of the word, itself where no use Is mentioned, is Inde-
fensible, full caps, that it is IN DISPUTE, and Small
Caps, that, though harped at by some critics, it may be

regarded as ItQitimaic.
I ■

VEEBAL PITFALLS.

-««^« ^3*^*-

A (for an). "If it be urged that we have 'an
hurahlc and contrite heart,' I auswtr, so have we
' the strength of an norse ' ; but uo oue supposes that
we were meant to say a horse. * * * The
rule commonly given is this : that when the accent
on the word thus beginning is on the lirst syllable,
we must use a ; when it on the accent or any fol-
lowing syllable, we must use an. This is reasona-
ble enough, because the first syllable, by losing its
accent, also loses some portion of the strength of its
aspiration. We cannot aspirate with the same
strength the first syllable on the words history and
historian, and in consequence we commonly say a
history; but an historian. Still, though this may
define our modern practice, it is rather a reasonable
description of it, than a rule recognized by our best
writers. They do not scruple to use an before as-
pirated words, even when the accent falls on the
first syllable. * * * j have found iu
the Bible very few instances of the article a used

10 VERBAL PITFALLS.

before a word begiauing with h. We have an half,
an hammer. * * * The only exceptions
which I have found are a Mil, a holy solemnity.
* * * They [the translators of the Old
Testament] uniformly used sucJv a one, the expres-
sion occurring about thirteen times. In the New
Testament, the printers have altered it throughout
to such an one. * * * It seems to me
that we may now, in writing, use either. In com-
mon tails I should always naturally say such a one,
not such an one, which would soiind formal and
stilted." i 43-49. "This form {such an one'] is
disagreeably harsh and unmusical." y 209. b b. 151.
Not approved by W. or Wb. " For myself, so long
as I continue to aspirate the ^'s in such words as
heroic, harangue, and historical, I shall continue to
use a before them." x 7. W. and Wb. both prefer
an.

Ability (for capacHy). " Capacity is the power
of receiving and retaining knowledge with facility,
ability is the power of applying knowledge to prac-
tical purposes." x 8.

Ahovtrwe {for unsuccessful). "Apian may be
abortive, but an act cannot." a 85. x 8.

k.^0VT {iov upon). "Beaten about the head and
face." 1 1 577.

Above (as an adjective). " I concur in the ahove
statement." LAMBspeaksof " The a&oae boys and tlie
below boys." r 348. "Not elegant, though it is
not uncommon." 1200. x 8. "Sometimes used by

A — ACCREDIT. 1 1

good writers." W. " Often used elliptically." Wb.
Pip, in Oreat Expectations, referring to his fatlier's
tombstone, finds below his father's record: also,
Oeorgiana, Wife of the Above; which Pip quaintly
adds, "I considered as a complimentary reference
to my father's exaltation to a better sphere," d loO.

Academy (for common scliool). "A custom
denounced with great scorn by Boswell's father,
the old Laird of Auchinleck. ' Whose tail do you
think he has pinned himself to now, mon? Domi-
nie, mon — an ould dominie; he keapit a schule aud
call'd it an academy ! '" 1 1 430.

t Acceptance (for aceejnntion). " None [words]
remain more vague in their acceptance.'' Ruskin.
c61.

Accident (for wound). '"Witch-hazel cures
accidents.' " a a 409.

Accord (for give, grant). "To accord with, is
properly used in the sense of to agree, to suit .-—as
' This arrangement accords with my views ' ; but to
say that ' he accorded his friends the use of his
library ' would be a wrong application of the word.
In the phrase, according with, the word is a par-
ticiple; in acc&rding to, it is a preposition." y 77, 1
253, X 8, r 363. "Grant or accord a favor." W.
"To grant as suitable or proper." Wb.

Accountability (for accountahleness). 1 1 230. ' 'A
modern word, but in good use." W.

Accredit {iov credit). "Few, except very bad

12 VERBAL PITFALLS.

writers, employ it as a robust substitute for credit,
beUeve." v 284.

Actual {for present), v v 75. " Has recently re-
ceived a new signification, viz, present." Wb.

Acuteness (for acuteness of grief). " Similarly
acuteness and poignancy are employed by themselves,
as though they necessarily implied the notion of
sorrow, in ' His long sickness made his friends look
for his release not with the acuteness and poignancy
(of what?) which some bereavements call forth,"
c 15.

Atl. (for advertisement), x 9.

Aclmiiiister (for deal). " ' Blows administered
by policemaii Johnson.'" x 11.

Admire (for desire). 1 1 430.

" It is an error to follow this verb with an

mfinit\ve, as ' 1 admire to see a man consistent.'"
Wb. Doubly wrong, therefore, is the expression,
' I should admire to go with you."

Adopt. "This verb is transitive. In the ad-
vertisemer.t, ' A lady having two boys would like to
adopt one,' the woman expresses a desire for these
boys, though she means that she wants to keep but
one." a 86, x 12.

(for taken, decided upon; as "measures

adopted by Congress"). When a commille adopts Mr.
Brown's measure, it assumes it as its own. x 11.

Advautage. "Signifies a state of forwardness
or advance. Therefore, 'benefit,' 'gain,' 'profit,'

ACTUAL — AGAINST. 13

should be substituted for the second ' advantage ' iu
the following sentence, since it is as impossible for
all men to hold a common advantage, (e. e. to be all
in advance one of the other), as it is for all the
horses in the race to come in first. ' Free trade
equalizes advantages, making the advantage of each
the advantage of a]].' " Zincue. c3.

Advocate, v 276, 285, 300. At vv 75 Mr. Hall
writes: " I am not going to advocate /or this sense
of actual."

AFFABLE should be used only of the manner of
su}3eriors to inferiors, a 87, v v 103. " Usually ap-
plied to superiors. " Wb.

Afterwa-rds {{or aftericard). d 25. "The follow-
ing words, when used as adverbs, backioard, for-
wai'd, doicnicard, icpward, imoard, outward, and
Twmeioard, are all given indiscrimnately in Johnson's
dictionary, with and without the final s. Both
forms of these several words have been, from an
early period in the language, and they still are, in
good use. Toward, or towards, as an adverb and
preposition, is given in the English dictionaries in
both forms, and both are in common and good use ;
but the adverb onward does not^take a final s." W.

AGAINST. "Few writers would sanction the
vulgar usage, 'Have it ready against I come.'" c
117. Wb. says: "3. In provision for; in prepara-
tion for. ' Urijah made it, against King Ahaz came
from Damascus.'" 2 Kings, XVI: 11. B. says
(440) that in this use aaainst is a conjunctive ad-
verb of time.

14 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Agg^ravate (for irritate, worry, annoy). "There
would be no danger in aggravating Violet by this
expression of pity." Anthony Trollope, a 52, 88; c
3. Scheie de Vere says it "is not an Americanism,
nor used improperly." tt433; v v 106. "Though
not uncommon, of questionable propriety." Wb.
" Improperly used in this sense." W.

Agriculturalist (for agriculturist), a 215; r
342. Defended, v v 57.

AH!(for ZTa/). "'Ha! is the interjection of
laughter; ah! is an interjection of sorrow. The
difference between them is veiy small, consisting
only in the transposition of what is no substantial
letter, but a bare aspiration. How quickly, in the
age of a minute, in the very turning of our breath,
is our mirth changed to mourning!'" — Fdlleb. r
127. "Expressive of surprise, pity, complaint,
contempt, dislike, joy. exultation, etc., according
to the manner of utterance." Wb. " Sometimes
noting dislike and contempt, or exultation and joy;
but most frequently regret, compassion, and com-
plaint." W

Ain't. "The only legitimate contraction of /
am not, is Pm not. " i 96.

Alcoholism, s 185. Accepted, W.* Wb.*

Ales (for kitids of ale). So wines, teas, woolens,
silks, cottons. Why not molasseses ? aa 490. But
see B 249.

ALIENIST, s 185. Wbf W*.

AGGRAVATE — ALLUDE. 15

ALIKE (often accompanied by both). '"Those
two pearls are both alike ' This is equal to the story
of Sam- and Jem's resembling each other very much,
particularly Sam." a 88. Wb. quotes, "The
darkness and the light are both alike to thee." Ps.
cxxxix. 12.

All (with universal), r 348, y 203; (see also d 133).

ALL OF THEM, r 355, y 204. Defended, i 186.

All OVER (for ove?" aZO. x 13. " All over, above
or upon, in every place." W.

ALL THE SAME (for nevertJieless). " Scotticism
bred out of bad French." vv 110.

All which (for all of which), d 127, All, the
adjective, always irrecedes the article the, etc. Wb.

Allow (for say, assert, express opinion). "We
may allow or admit that which we have disputed,
but of which we have been convinced ; or we may
allow certain premises as the basis of argument; but
we assert, not allow, our own opinions." a 90, x
18, tt 433.

(for consent), vv

Allude (for say, or mention). " Allude (from
ludo, ludere, to play) means to indicate jocosely, to
hint fit playfully; and so to hint at in a slight, pass-
ing manner. Allusion is the by-play of language."
a 90, c 3, y 77, i 253. " Quoting Byron's lines about

16 VERBAL PITFALLS.

' the fatal gift of beauty,' he then goes on to talk
about ' the fatal gift which has alieady been alluded
to!'" r355, xl3.

Almost (as an adjective). "The almost univer-
sality. "—Whitney, r 360, vv 104.

Alms. "Eaves, alms, and riches are not true plu-
rals, but commonly take a plural verb ; and summons
does double duty, summonses having fallen into dis-
repute, though as correct as liccn^es^ News, measels,
smallj)ox, and gallows are plurals, but are nearly al-
ways followed by a singular verb : concerning means,
odds, and 'pains opinion is divided, and it is really
indifferent whether they take a singular or a plural
verb, provided the two constructions are not mixed.
Say 'all means ?iave been tried,' or 'every means
has been tried,' but not, ' all means /ias been tried.' "
Cl44, i 28, s 207, tt 507, B 247. See Remains. "That
this mean is an affectation, just as this remain would
be, is admitted; but that this means is ungrammati-
cal postulates a criterion of grammaticaluess other
than the sole rational criterion — general consent.
Perhaps a means sprang from an old oblique case, if
it did not originate with the vulgar : compare their
ways, in a great tcays off. And so, it may be, we
came by our singular pains, as ' much pains is neces-
sary.' But the singular means has other parallels:
amends, assizes, meios (originally), news (optionally),
steics, odds, ethics, politics, physics, mathematics, me-
chanics, and many other names of sciences now
singular. Alms, bellows, and summons owe their

ALMOST — AMATEUR. IT

plural aspect to mere corruption; and such is
the case with riches, which was once of either num-
ber." vv3. 66, 113.

Alone (for only). " Alone means ' quite by one-
self,' and is always an adjective, differing heveia
from only, which is both an adverb and an adjective.
In some cases the words may be used indifferently,
'B-eonly was saved' being as right as 'He alone
was saved ;' and in Job i. 15, they are used together:
' I only am escaped alone to tell thee.' But as a rule
there is a marked distinction between alone and 07ily.
"I did it alone,' quite by myself; ' &n only {ad].)
daughter;' ' they differ on one point only' (adv.)
The whiskey-loving public of Edinburgh is gram-
matically correct in interpreting the inscription on
the drinking-fountain, ' Water is not meant for man
alone,' as meaning that water is not meant for man
by itself, i. e. undiluted." c 4, r 345, x 13. But see
V 46, V V 5.

Alternately (for 6y !f?/?'«s), \ rpj^ggg ^ords
A\tQT\\i\tio\\ (iov succesion), ]■ , ,, , ,

Alternative (for C(?Mrs«). j sliould be used

only in speaking of tico objects or classes of objects,
and Whately rightly defines alternative as a choice
between two objects, c 5, r 357, d 55.

Aniatevir (for novice). "A professional actor
who is new and unskilled in his art, is a novice, and
not an amateur. An amateur may be an artist of
great experience and extraordinary skill." x 14.

18 VERBAL PITFALLS.

AMAZING (for wonderful), t t 434. "We are
amazed at what is incomprehensible." Wb. "Won-
der expresses an embarrassment of the mind after
it has somewhat recovered from the first percussion
of surprise." W.

f Ambition (as a verb), c 66.

Ameliorated (for improved, of health), x 14.

Amenability. 1 1 239.

Amendable (for amenable), s 183.

Amidst (for amid), d 26. "Amid is used mostly
in poetry." Wb.

Among (for between, when speaking of two). 1 1
434. Gould says it should not be written amongst,
(d 26) but W. and Wb. give both forms.

Amount of perfection ( for degree of excel-
lence). X 14.

Analyze " Often absurdly spelled paralyze and
analyze." The g/se has no relation to ese, not being
a sufBx at all, but representing the Greek hisis a
loosening, a a 469, v 175, v v 54. But both W.
and Wb. spell analyze, paralyze.

And. " The commonest case in which it is vio-
lated is where and introduces a relative clause, no
relative having occurred before, e. g., ' I have a book
printed at Antwerp, and iohich was once possesso'l
by Adam Smith," c 125.

AMAZING — ANTICIPATE. 19

(for to, as "try and do this "). x 14.
(for or; as, "a language like the Greek antZ

Latin"). xl4.

Anecdote, y 50. . See also Transpire.

Animal (for hrute). "Mr. Bergh's society— like
that iu London, of which it is a copy — is called
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ani-
mals. It is in reality a society for the prevention
of crueltj' to brutes, for the animal that suffers most
from cruelty — man — appears not to be umler the
shield of its protection." a 91. Both W. and Wb.
give hrute as a restricted meaning.

Antecedents (for ^?'moMS history). " Thus the
antecedents of General Sherman in the generalship
of the army of the United States are General Wash-
ington, General Scott, and General Grant." a 93.
"A convenient term enough. It expresses concise-
- ly what would otherwise require a rather ponder-
ous circumlocution. Mr. 'Punch,' with his usual
satirical spirit, said that it would be more satisfac-
tory to know something of a suspected man's rela-
tives than of his antecedents ! " y 50, pp. 383. See,
in severe criticism of Mr. White, v 303.

Anticipate (for expect). "Its proper meaning in
English is to take first possession of, or to take be-
fore the proper time." a a 413. "To say, ' I did not
anticipate a refusal ' expresses something less defi-
nite and strong than to say' 'I did not expect it.'

20

VERBAL PITFALLS.

Still anticipate is a convenient word to be inter-
changed with expect in cases where the thought will
allow." Wb.

Antiquarian (for antiquary), c 61.

ANYBODY ELSE'S. "It seems to be not yet
settled whether we are to say somebody's eUe or some-
body else's. So long as these words are regarded as
two and written as two, the better u.-,age would
seem to be somebody's else.'" a a 455.

ANYHOW. "An exceedingly vulgar phrase."
r 344, 1 1 579. W. gives it without comment. Wb.
marks it colloquial.

Anyways (for any way), d 25.

Anywheres (for any-where). d 25.

APPARENT. "With the exception of the one
phrase ' heir apparent,' meaning heir evident, man-
ifest, undoubted, we do not any longer employ 'ap-
parent ' for that which appears because it is, but
always either for that which appears and is not, or
for that which appears, leaving in doubt whether
it is or no. " p 8.

\ A.\Mivtn\exxt {iov apartments, suite of rooms).

V v 8, i 248.

Apo.stacy (for apostasy), i 20.

Apple-pie Order. XJuseltJed whether this means
order, or disorder, r 313. W. and Wb. both say
it means perfect o'der.

ANTIQUARIAN — APPREHEND. 21

Apple-tart (for applepie). "Surely the com-
mon distinction of the two terms lies in this, that a
tart is baked on a flat dish, while a pie is baked on
a deep one." s 50, 1 1 517.

Appreciate (for set just value on). "Talking of
appi-eciatiation, as Mr. Hawker said once, the scrip-
ture reader, Mr. Bumpus, at , came to me the

other day and said, ' Please, sir, I have been visiting
and advising Farmer Matthews, but he did not quite
appreciate me. In fact, he kicked me down stairs.' "
Gould. Lander calls this the one valuable word re-
ceived into the language since Home Tooke's birth.
V 288. Should not be modified by adverb of degree,
as higlily. x 18.

Appreciate (for rise in value). " The employ-
ment of the word apreciation to denote a rise in
value is creeping into use, apparently from Ameri-
can sources, but is, I think, much to be deprecated."
The Economist, c 5, 6, r 353, 1 1 434, x 18.

Apprehend {iov comprehend). "AppreJiend de-
notes the laying hold of a thing mentally, so as to
understand it clearly, at least in part. Coinp)rehend
denotes the embracing or understanding it in all its
compass and extent. We may apprehend many
truths which we do not compreAencZ." Wb. x 19.

Apprehend (for think), d 96. Both W. and Wb.
admit this use, but the thought apprehended should
be of some import. " I appi'ehend that it's dinner-

22 VERBAL PITFALLS.

time " would be a parallel to "In the name of the
Prophet — figs ! "

Approtich (for address, memorialize, appeal to,
petition). "In the language of religion nothing can
be more appropriate than such phrases as ' to aj)-
^roac/i the throne of grace, ' the idea of reverential
distance and profound awe being thus expressed.
But in the case of provosts, magistrates, ministers
of state, and even the Education Department, the
term is wholly out of place and unauthorized by
good example." c 6.

Apt. "This little word, the proper meaning of
which it is almost impossible to express by defini-
tion or periphrases, is in danger losing its fine sense,
and of being degraded into a servant of general
utility for the range of thought between liable and
likely. * * * a man may be liable to
catch the plague or to fall in love, and yet not be
apt to do either." a 93, x 19.

Arctics (for overshoes), x 19. Admitted by Wb.
as U. 8.

ARE (for is). "We sometimes hear children
made to say, 'twice one are two.' For this there
is no justification whatever. It is a plain violation
of the first rules of grammar, tmce one not being-
plural at all, but strictly singular. Similarly, • three
times three rtJ'e nine ' is clearly wrong," i 218. At
least nine explanations of this phrase have been
urged :

(1) An abstract number is necessarily expressed

STATE HOfiWAL i>>nJ'Jt,

APPROACH — arp:. 23

by a sm^t/?ar «(??/« with only a singular meaning;
such a number when multiplied is always in
itself the subject of the assertion ; and, consequent-
ly, the verb must be singular, as agreeing with
this singular noun.

(2) The multiplying word or words and the num-
ber multiplied are taken in a lump as the grojmmati-
cal subject, some claiming that this subject is singul-
ar, while

(3) Others claim that this subject is plural.

(4) The expression Twice two is four is resolved
into "The number two, twice taken, is equal to
four." — Bullions.

(5) The same expression is resolved into " Twice
two units arefoar units."

(6) The same expression is explained as equiva-
ent to Four^ya^.^fi are tioice tioo, finding the subject
not in the expresyion of the factors, but in the noun
uttered or implied in the product.

(7) The subject of the verb is the product taken
substantively, and not as a numeral adjc-cUve, in
which case the verb may be is or are, according as
the writer has la mind the idea of unity or the idea
of plurality.

(8) When we say 3 times 4 trees are 13 trees, we
have reference to the objects counted; but iu saying
3 times 4 is 13, we mean that 3 times the number 4
is the number 13. Here we use 4 and 18, not as
numeral adjectives, but as nouns, the names of par-
ticular numbers, and as such each conveys the idea
of unity. — Blanchakd.

24 VERBAL PITFALLS.

(9) In multiplyiug one only, it is evidently best ta
use a singular verb: as Twice nought is nought;
Three times one is three. And in multiplying any
n!:mbers above one, I judge a plural verb to be neces-
sary : as Twice two are four. — Gould Bkown. B.
588.

It should be added that Brown makes the ex-
pression tliree times dependent on a preposition un-
derstood, but says that if it could be written, as
some think it should be, threetimes, — thrice and
analogous to sometimes, it would then be an adverb
of time repeated. W. and Wb. both make time a
noun equivalent to repetition.

Argufy. 1 1 349, 434.

Armory (for place where arms &rQ manufactured).
1 1 435. W. and Wb. both give this use as Ameri-
can.

AROUND (for about). "He was standing
around." t t 135. Wb. gives this meaning, illus-
trating it from the Police Gazette !

ARRIVE (for happen, "what has arrived f") y
77. W. and Wb. both give this meaning, the latter
marking it obsolete, and both quoting from Waller,
"Happy! to whom this glorious death am«e6i. " It
seems questionable whether its use here may not
be looked upon as an intended metaphor.

ARTICLE (for anything out of the shop where
offered for sale), a 44.

ARE — ARTISTE. 25

A-RTXCVLKTE (for Utter). "We uite7' vowels; we
articulate with consonants." a a 40.

Artist. "The word has been so pulled and
hauled that it is shapeless, and has no peculiar fit-
ness to any craft or profession ; its vagueness de-
prives it of any special meaning. * * *
Leonardo, Raphael, Michael Angelo, Coreggio,
Titian, were content to be called pai7iiers." a 94, x 19,
" ' Artisan ' is no longer used of him who cultivates
one of the fine arts, but [of one who cultivates]
those of common life. The fine arts, losing this
word, have now claimed ' artist ' for their exclusive
property; which yet was far from belonging to them
always. An 'artist' in its earlier acceptation, was
one who cultivated, not the fine, but the liberal, arts.
The classical scholar was eminently the 'artist.'"
p. 10.

Artiste (for artist). X.

AS (for so), "We say, ' one way of speaking is
as good as the other;' but when we deny the propo-
sition we are obliged to say, ' one way of speaking
is not so good as the other.' So cannot be used in
the affirmative proposition, or as in the negative.
' There are few artists who draw horses as well as
Mr. Leech.' /So well ouglit to have been used, be-
cause the sentence is negative. There are few who,
denies the existence of many." i 93, s 98, 100. Wb.
does not recognize this distinction, for he gives, to
illustrate the uses of as, "Give us such things as
you please, so long as yuu please, or as long as you
please." B. says, "To as corresponds as, with adj.

"Jb VERBAL PITFALLS.

or adv. to denote equality of degree; so is used be-
fore as with adj. or adv. to limit the degree bycom-
parisou ; wWi negative preceding, to deny equality of
degree; ■witli infinitive following, to denote conse-
quence. B. 679.

A.^ (iov that). " As I can, following generally a
phrase like I don't know, is frequently heard ia the
rural districts of New England, where it represents
the cautious hesitation by wliich the Yankee thinks
it prudent to qualify every promise or assertion.
The particle as is substituted for biit. [By no means.
I don't know but I can has an assentive, I don't
know as I can, a declinative, meaning.] A traveller
passing a few weeks at Mount Desert, Maine, asked
the inn-keeper if he could change a hundred-dollar
note. Putting his hand in his pocket and taking
out his wallet, the latter replied, ' I don't know [as]
I can, and I don't know 6m« I can.'"— Dodge, tt
579, V 212, X 19.

As (with prepositional force, followed by objec-
tive). So claimed by Alford. i 160.

As well (for all the same), a 184.

AS WELL (for at'sc), "Has of late years come
much into use." Wb.

AS FOLLOW (for as follows). "Still has some
support in respectable usage." a a 396. After long
discussion, the plural form is pronounced preferable
by Brown. B. 674.

Ascetic (for elegant), a a 417,

Aside (for apart), v v 99.

AS — AT BEST. 27

On the other hand, "May I take you apart for a
moment?" asks a gentleman of another. "Cer-
tainly, sir, if you will promise to put me togethe*
again."

Aspirant. X.

Assentations. 1 1 239, 519.

Assist (for to he 'present, as a guest), y 76. i 371.
W. and Wb. both admit this meaning as a Galli-
cism.

Assurance (for fire insurance). "We may
use both verbs, to assure and to insure, of that kind
of making safe which the substantive represents."
i 19. W. and Wb. agree that this word is limited to
life insurance.

Astute is commonly used in a bad sense, c 7.
W. quotes, "We call those most astute, which are
most vertute [crafty,] " — Sands.

AT. "One of the particles most abused in

Amei ican speech. " 1 1 435.

At (for about). "What is he at now? " 1 1 435.
W. and Wb. both give this meaning.

At (for by). Sales at auction, r 347. " ' I bought
it at auction ' is correct English, but ' It is to be sold
at auction ' is American only. " 1 1 435, x 20.

At (for in). " At the West. " t t 435.

At ALL. "A needless expletive." r 347, x 20.
But see i 275.

At best (for at the best), x 20. Indifferent, i 184.
W. f.nd Wu. give both forms.

25 VERBAL PITFALLS.

AT LENGTH (for at last), d 60, x 20. See
Wb. 87.

At that (for moreover). "One man, and an old
man at that", d 137. Mr. Gould admits that
"everybody uses" this phrase, and objects to it
simply because its meaning is only conventional : in
other -words, because it is our idiom. But we can
hardly spare it to gratify his whim.

Attornies (for attorneys), i 28.

AUTHENTIC. " A distinction drawn by Bishop
Watson between genuine and authentic has been
often quoted. ' A genuine book is that which was
written by the person whose name it bears as the
author of it. An oMhentic book is that which re-
lates matters of fact as they really happened.' Of
autltentic he has certainly not seized the true force,
neither do the uses of it by good writers bear him
out. * * Authentic is properly ' having an
author,' and thus coming with 'authority," author-
itative.' * * Thus an authentic document
is, in its first meaning, a document written by the
proper hand of him from whom it professes to pro-
ceed." p 15. Wb. quotes Bishop Watson with ap-
proval. W. quotes him, but appends this from Dr.
Hill : "I oppose the word OAithentic to supposititious
(or apocryphal), the word genuine to vitiated. I call
a book authentic which was truly the work of the
person whose name it bears. I call a book genuine
which remains in all material points the same as
when it proceeded from the author."

AUTHORESS. " The distinction of the female

AT LENGTH — AVERSE FROM. 29

from the male by the termination ess is one of the
oldest and best established of English speech. Ifis-
tress, goddess, prioress, deaconess, sheplierdess, heiress,
sempstress, traitress, are examples that will occur to
every reader. * * There can be no reason-
able objection made, only [except] one of individual
taste, to actress, wutTwress, poetess, and even to sculp-
tress and paintress." a 205, v 123, 187. "Certain
names of occupations aud offices seem to require
them, and others to forbid them." i 96. "Like
poetess, condemned by W. C. Bbtant, seems to be-
come more popular as the number of female
authors increases in the United States." tt 436.
Ridiculed, 1 1 655, x 21, d 22. " This word is now
well established. Heretofore autJvor was commonly
applied to writers of both sexes; and some still so
use it." W. "The word is not very much used,
autJior being commonly applied to a female writer
as well as to a male." Wb. X

Autumn. "It is remarkable that while spring,
summer, winter, have all their Anglo-Saxon names,
■we designate the other quarter of the year by its
Latin title, autumn, the word which should have
designated it, Jiarvest, having been appropriated to
the ingathering of the fruits of this season, not to
the season itself." p 99.

Avail (for avail oneself of). 1 1 436.

Averse from (for amrse to). "If we had a
neuter verb overt, it may be that the influence of the
preposition it would regularly have taken would
have kept us from altering tlie ' averse />?/?« ' of our

30 VERBAL PITFALLS.

fathers into 'averse fc/now generally prevalent." v
83. d 83, c 113, y 206. Tliougli W. says there is
authority for both uses, he uses avej'se to in his own
illustration. Wb. declares positively for aveise to.

Avocation (for vocation). "During the last
hundred years these words have become confounded
— a coafusion that Skeat unwillingly accepts, de-
fining avocation by 'pursuit, employment, business.'
* * With an inconsistency strange in so able
a philologist, Mr. Fitzedward Hall condemns the
use of avocation for vocation (d 214-16), but sa}'s of
avocations, ' the plural, very anomalously, inverts in
most cases the accepted signification of the singular'
(a statement by no means borne out by Mr. Hall's
quotations). * * Briefly, the case is this:
If avocation and vocation are to be held synonymous,
English is poorer by a useful, and richer by a super-
fluous term." a 7.

" The sketch of the unfortunate woman whose
vocation may be said to consist of avocations, and
whose duty seems to be ' to let her acquaintances
make tatters of her time and to make tatters of
theirs in return,' can scarcely be called a caricature."
—Spectator, May 10, 1779, p. 599. a a 403, r 346, v
214, i 250.

Awful (for very, or for vgly). a 185, p 16, 1 1 436.

Backwards (for backward), d 15. See Apter-

"WAliDS.

Bad. "I feel bad," not "I feel badly." aa 480,
r 354, i 205, d 59. But see tt 438, vv 100.

Bad cold (for severe cold), x 22.
Bade (for bidden, as participle), a 120.
Balance (for rest, remainder), a 94, aa 417, 486,
r 102, 345, x 22, tt 3. "A gross vulgarism." Wb.

"As it fell out, they all fell
The balance, they ran awiiy."

Bamboozle. "It has long been a question
•whether the word should be admitted." y 177.
"Vulgar." W. "Low." Wb.

Banister (for balustrade, or bahister). r 335.

Bauquet (for (Zmne?', supper). X. "A banquet
is a public, sumptuous feast." W.

Basilisk (for basilica), i 39.
Beat (for defeat). X.

Bean. " A verb used by the uneducated in-
stead of 'to escort.'" tt 440.

Beautiful. "Like elegant, a much misused
term." tt 440.

Been to (for been). "'Where have you been
tor" x22.

Beg (for beg leave). " ' I beg to acknowledge your

32 VERBAL PITFALLS.

favor.'" X 23. "A tradesman hegs to announce."
Wb. 1»1.

BEING (l3 being built), v 321-359, a 334, 413,
421, i 167, X 86, X. See article by Fitzedward Hall
in Scribner's, April, 1872. W. treats the subject as
follows (xxxix): "The participle in mff, though
properly and generally active, is sometimes used in
a passive sense, as, 'Forty and six years was tlie
temi^le in building.' — John, •ii: 20. 'While the
work was a prepa7'ing.' — I Petek, hi: 20. 'My
Lives are reprinting.' — Johnson. Dr. Johnson, in
the Grammar prefixed to his Dictionary, remarks,
with respect to the use of the present participle,
'There is a manner of using the active participle
which gives it a passive signification, as, "The
Grammar is now printing; " "The brass is now /org-
ing." This, in my opinion, is a vicious expression,
probably corrupted from a phrase more pure, but
now somewhat obsolete, [Carlyle has in his trans-
lation of Wilhelm Mdster, 1839, "Meanwhile t lie
contracts had been written out and were now
a-signing." v. in.] "The book is a printing;"
*' The brass is aforgiiu/ ; " a being properly at, and
printing andiforg-ing verbal nouns, signifying action,
according to the analogy of this language. '

" Although Johnson thus censured this use of
the partciple in ing, yet he afterwards made use of
it himself in the passage above cited.

" Within a few yeaif$, as a substitute for both the
above forms, a neolpgijiji has been introduced, by
■which the present passive participle is substituted, ia

BEG BEING. 33

such cases as the ahove, for the participle iu ifl^r/
and in the above examples, instead of in building,
<i preparing, and are reprinting, the modern innova-
tors would say, in being built, being prepared, are
being reprinted. This new form has been used by
gome respectable writers, as in the following in-
stances: 'For those who are being educated m ovlx
seminaries.' — II. Bouthet. 'It was being tiitei-ed.' —
CoLEUTDGE. 'The foundation was being laid.' —
Brit. Ckitic. The Eclectic Hevieto rexna.v'ks: 'That
a need of this phrase, or an equivalent one, is felt,
is sufficiently proved by the extent to which it is
used by educated persons, and respectable writers.'

"This phrase, styled by Abp. Whately ' uncouth
English,' has been censured by various grammarians
and critics. 'It [rerv/ie'vos] signifies properly,
though in uncouth English, one who is being beaten.'
— Abp, WHATEiiT. ' The bridge is being built, and
other phrases of the like kind, have pained the eye.'
— D. Booth. ' The phrase, is being built, and
others of similar kind, have been, for a few years
back, insinuating them.selves into our language;
still, they are not English.' — M. Hakkison's Eise,
Progress, and Present Structure of the English Lan-
guage, '" The house is being built." This mode of
expression is becoming quite common. It is liable,
however, to several important objections. It ap-
pears formal and pedantic. It has not, so far as I
know, the support of any respectable grammarian.
The easy and natural expression is, " The house is
building."'— FiiOF. J. W. Gibbs."

34 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Belittle (for disparage), vv 99, 105, 110, d 30.
W. lii.

Belong (used absolutely). " ' Is Miss A. coming
to the Amateur Concert tonight? ' 'No! she does
not belong;' meaning, does not belong to the
society. Belong is a verb of so wide a signification
that it will hardly admit of being thus detached
from its accidents, and used absolutely and gener-
ally." i 111.

Belong (for live). " ' My man, do you belong [to]
Wighill ? ' ' No, sir; Wighill belongs to me.' " i 113.

Beiiieaii. w 105.

Beaeiiceiit (for benevolent). "Of what use is
benevolence, but in as far as it is productive of benefi-
cence?"— Bentiiam. c <J4.

Benefitted (for benefited), i 36, y 137.

BESIDE (for besides). "Beside and besides,
whether used as prepositions or as adverbs, have
been considered synonymous from an early
period of our literature, and have been freely inter-
changed by our best writers. There is, however, a
tendency in present usage to make the following
distinction between them: 1. That beside be used
only and always as a preposition, with the original
meaning by iVe side of: as, to sit beside a fountain,
or with the closely allied meaining aside from, or
out of; as, this is &es2f?g our present purpose: 'Paul,
thou art beside thyself.' The adverbial sense to be
wholly transferred to the cognate word. 2. Tha<:
besides, as a preposition, take the remaining sense,.

BELITTLE BLESSED. 35

in addition to ; as, besides all this; besides the con-
sideration here offered. ' There was a famine in the
land besides the first famine. ' And that it also take the
adverbial sense of moreover, beyond, etc., which had
been divided between the words; as. besides, tkere
are other considerations which belong to this case."
Wb. X 22. Gould claims to have been the first to
call attention to this distinction, d 38.

Bestead (for beset with), vv 99.

Between (for amonei). "Between is only for
two— % and iwaw."— Landor. c 28, x 23. "It
should, however, be remarked that authorities dif-
fer." c 114. Carefully avoid such expressions as
" 5eiM!ee?i every stitch. " a 112. How about such ex-
pressions as " Her face appeared &e<w(?«?i the grates?"

Bibliophile (for u lover of books). "Ought to
mean loved by books. BihliopMlist, suggested by it, is
just as bad." v 175.

BILE (for bail, a tumor). "This is generally
spelt boil, but, I think, less properl3^" — Jolmson's
Biciioiuiry. "Now more commonly spelled
boiir W.

Blauie it on (for accuse), x 23.

Blessed (for cwrsrfd). "It is not uncommon to
hear an abandoned fellow spoken of as a precious
scoundrel, or some absurdity referred to as blessed
nonsense. This perversion is not confined to Eng-
lish. The French often use the v/ord sacre in a
sense diametrically opposed to holy, a meaning
which exists in Latin, from which French is de-
rived. Virgil's ' auris sacra fames ' is properly

56 VEKBAL PITFALLS.

translated, ' accursed lust for gold.' The Latiu altus
also convej'ed the distinct and opiDosite meanings of
high, and dee}}." y 69.

Blew his brains out. d 135.

Bogus. "A colloquial expression incompatible
■with dignified diction." x 23, X. "A cant term,
TJ. S." W. "A7ner." Wb.

Bosh ! " Unqualified piece of slang." s 142.

Both (of more than two). "First consider the
following use of both by Chaucer, a poet second
only to Shakspere:

O chaste gocklesse of the woodes greene,

To whom bothe heven and eartlie and see is seene.

—The KnifjhVs Tale, I. 130.
Now for such a use of both the 'authority,' that is,
the example, of Chaucer, can be of no more weight
than that of an anonymous advertisement in the
newspaper. Etymology and usage, including that
of Chaucer in other passages, make the meaning of
both, two taken together; and it is impossible that
the same word can mean two and three. If fifty
passages could be produced from the works of
Chaucer, Spenser, Shakspere, and Milton, in which
both was applied to three objects, such a use of it by
others might be excused, but it could not be justi-
fied. The case is extreme, but therefore of vfJut;
it brings the point out sharply; and by such eiara-
ples a point to be established has its best illustra-
tion. And th»-rc it is; both used by one of our
greatest poets to mean three taken togeliic-." a 400.
Quoting the above, Mr. Hall says: " This comment,
I submit, betviiys an absence of the most, ordinary

BLESSED — BOTH. 37

acumen. For its fuudamental error consists iu cou-
founding the conjunction both with the prououa
both ; Avords as different in nature as et and ambo.
In 'Paul and Peter and Philip were 5o^^ there,'
which nobody says, both {amhd) is made to mean
three ; but not so iu ' Both {et) Paul and Peter and
Philip were there.' Nor are parallels wanting sub-
versive of the principle on which Mr. White asserts
it to be ' impossible ' that the same word can mean
'two' and 'three.' * * * Over and
above usage we have therefore analogy in support
oi' 'boilie, heveu and earthe and see,' and of Cole

ridge's —

He prayeth well, who lovetli well
BoUi man and bird and beast.

Our forefathers thought good to extend the use ol
the conjunction both, while they left the use of the
pronoun both, from which it sprang, unextended.
But the conjunction has undergone no extension, as
concerns its name and essential function. Unaided,
it never even coupled ; but as it may help to connect
two things, so it may help to aggi*egate a dozen. It
is both with and that joins two things; and if a third
thing is to be added, how can the leashing be ef-
fected better than by another and ? EitJier, whether,
and neither, the conjunctions, contribute in like
manner to both, but yet only contribute to the link-
ing into a group any number of constituents. And
they, too, come from pronouns which do not con-
template more than duality." v 196, 200, B 274.

Both (frequently pleonastic). " Tom and Jim

83^

S8 VERBAL PITFALLS.

were both alike, especially Tom." " You and I hotli
agree."— M. Aenold. c 316, a 400, aa 396, tt 586,
X 24.

Bouud (for determined). Bound to do it. r 353,
tt 445, X 24, Wb. 155.

Bountiful {iox plentiful). "Bountiful applies
to persons, not to things, and has no reference to
quantity." a 95, p 24. But see vv 70.

Boviru (for place, instead of boundary), d 106.
But Wb. says, "Hence, point aimed at, goal,"
quf/tiug in illustration the familiar lines from Hamlet.

BOWELS. " We do not hesitate to speak, if it
be necessary to do so, of the stomach or bowels;
but in Elizabeth's time the best bred people desig-
nated those purts of the body by words the first of
which is now heard only among boys, and the sec-
ond never amoug decent people." — R. G. White,
Life and Genius of Shakspere, 2Jfi. On which Mr.
Hall remarks: " The fact is, that the freedom with
which Americans talk of their stomach and bowels
is somwhat shocking to English notions of pro-
priety. The two words which Mr. White only
hints at have, also, different conventional values in
America and in England. The first is in England
far from being ' now heard only among boys ; ' and
es to the other, there are occasions when it would
be accounted either squeamish or pedantic for
' decent people ' to cast about for a substitute. " vv
53. A popular clergyman is quoted as speaking of
Jonah, " who spent some time in the whale's — ah!
— society."

BOTH BULLY. 3£

Brace. See Couple, d 43.

Brand of Caiu (as if it were for accusation,
instead of for protection), d 124.

Bravery (for coi^ra^'e). " Bravery is inborn, is
instinctive. Courage is tlie product of reason, cal-
culation. Men who are simply brave are careless,
while the courageous man is always cautious." x 24.

Brazek. See Golden.

Brew-house (for by'cwing-Jiouse). a 232.

Bi'lng- (for fetch). "Bring expresses motion
toward, not away. A boy is properly told to take
his books to school and to bring them home. But
at school he may properly say, ' I did not biding my
books.' Fetch expresses a double motion — first from
and then toward the speaker. Thus a gardener may
say to his helper, ' Oo and firmer me yonder rake, '
but he might better say, ' Fetch me yonder rake. ' '
a 96, X 24. Bailey quotes: "As she was going to
fetch it, he called to her, Bring me a morsel of
bread."— I Kings, xvii. 11. tt447.

BUG (for insect), vv 104. "Appropriately the
fetid house-bug, or bed-bug." W. "I. An insect
of many species. II. {Entom.) an insect of the
genus or family, C'rinex." Wb.

Bully. "The term is such good old English
that there would be no objection to its revival, but
for its modern allegiance to slang. " tt 326.

Buxele-bee (for hmnble-bee). s 166. In tt 393 the
.ormer is preferred. W. and Wb. give both forms.
Biiacorn (for Buncombe), tt 259.

40 VERBAL riTFALLS.

Burfle!'''^' \ "'^^®* ""^Slit a great bugglery
was committed, and I am the gentleman that was
buggled.'" aa 403, tt 587. "While the enterpris-
ing burglar isn't burgling." — Pirates of Penzance

Bursted (for burst), tt 587.

But (for and). " Old but respectable," i 93.

But (for than). He no sooner determines but he
accomplishes, x 38.

But (for tliat, or if). I have no doubt but he
will come to-night. I should not wonder but that
was the case, r 342, x 28. ■

But that (for that), r 347, s 101, x 28, d 79.

But what (for but that).

Buxom. "Meant originally simply yielding." a
164, p 38, s 49, y 8 V 318.

By (for o/). By " I know nothing by myself,"
Paul means that he knows no harm of himself.
1336.

By (for upon). By returning it to this office the
finder will be rewarded, i 340.

BYE (for by). " It is better, perhaps, to confine
this way of spelling to the only case where it seems
needed, the bye ball, and to write by and by, by the
by." i 104. Yf. and Wb, give both forms, but
spell by the bye.

BY and BY. "Now a future more or less re-
mote, but when our version of the Bible was made,
the nearest possible future. The inveterate pro-
crastination of man has put ' by and by ' farther
off." For spelling, see p 1I3, " by and bye."

Cablegram. a 334.

Calciiiiite (for expect), x 28,

Calculated ( for likely, apt ). " The only-
danger that attends the multiplicity of publiciitions
is, that some of them may be calculated [likely] to
injure rather than benefit society." — Goldsmith.
"Whether Mr. Greeley's nomination was likely to
cost his party the Free trade vote, is matter of opin-
ion; whether it was calculated to do so, is not." a
97, c 13, aa 409. See also tt 449, x 28.

Calibre. "'She has several other little poems
of a much higher calibre than that.' The writer of
this sentence might as well have said, a broader
altitude, a bulkier range, or a thinner circumfer-
ence." a 97, X 29.

Caligrapliy (for simply penmanship). "Fine
caligrapliy and correct oriliogrupliy are tautological."
c 13.

Calves'-feet (for calfs-foot). a 188, i 27.

Camel's hair (for cashmere shawl), d 131.

Campaign (of preparation for election), a 218,
tt 266.

Can (for may), aa 403. The boy says, " Can I
go out," when he means, "May I." It is a question
not of possibility, but of permission.

42 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Canalize, aa 4G3. "I could furnish respect-
able authority." V 194.

Canon. " From a Greek word meaning cane;
first a hollow rule or cane used as a measure, then a
law or rule. The word is identical with cannon, so
called from its hollow, tube-like form. Hence it
has been wittily said that the world in the Middle
Ages was governed first by canons, and then by ca/i-
7i(9?is— first by Saint Peter, and then by salt-pctre."
r 306.

Capacious (for large). ''Its meaning is iden-
tical with tliat of capax, in every case conveying tlie
idea of 'holding.' The Irishman defined a net as
'holes tied together by a string '; his blunder is al-
most matched in, ' A ca2xicious rent had been made
in part of his costume.'— IIodde7\" c 13.

Caption (for heading), a 98, r 363, tt 449, x
29. "Not sanctioned by good writers." W.

Carnival (for festivity), r 355.

Casket (for coffin). "Thus the newspaper
writer may have thought that he was slyly adminis-
tering consolation to the bereaved friends by inti-
mating that a man in a casket is not quite so dead
as a man in a cofiin." d 95, X.

Casuality (for casualty), a 229, r 357, x 35,
d 19.

CATCH (for reac?i,, overtake). "Ma-'iy persons
speak of catching a car. If they reach the car, or
get to it, it being at the station; or if, it being in
motion, they overtake it, or catch np with it, they
may caicJt, some person who is in it, or they may

CANALIZE — CHARACTER. 43

mtcli scarlet fever from some one who has been ia
it. But they -will not catch the car." a 99. Al-
lowed by W., rejected by Wb.

CATER - CORNERED (for diagonal). g 14.
Given by W.

Catholic (for Roman CailwUc). g 14.

Cattle. " In England used generically for
all animals that serve for food or draught." In
America, rarely but for the bovine genus, tt 450.
" The coachman's cheery chirp, seldom varied by
the whistle of his whipcord, makes the gay cattle
dance and shake the jingling chains of trace and
splinter- bar." s93.

CELEBRITY (for celebrated person), r 348, x 35.
" Usually in the plural." Wb.

Cemetery (for graveyard), r 108, tt 481.

Central (for merely prominent), i 103.

Centre (of line instead of point). "A gangway
down the cefiire of the room." i 103.

Certain. "Belongs to a class of adjectives which
Americans constantly use as adverbs. It is fre-
quently strengthened by the addition oifor." "He's
done it, sure and certain." " We shall be burnt out
for certain." tt 450.

Character (for reputation). Character is what
& mSiQ. is ; reputation is what he is esteemed to be.
"Sheridan errs in like manner in making Sir Peter
Teazle say, as heleavesLadySneerwell's scandalous
coterie, ' I leave my character behind me.' His rep-
utation he left, but his character was always in his

44 VERBAL PITFALLS,

own keeping." a 100, x 35. "I thus obtained a
character for natural powers of reasoning which I
could not refute [!], and yet which I felt were [was]
undeserved." — Amelia B. Edwards, c 133.

Challenge. " A provocation to combat, or at
all events a defiance of some sort; the legal souse,
however, that of lodging an objection, is much
nearer to the original one, which strictly signifies a
calumny. And thus we come agaia to a striking
parallelism between the legal and [the] conventional
meaning of the word challenge, for distrust is the
exact and literal meaning of the word defiance; and
it is also worth remarking that our language in
adopting two terms meaning distrutst to express as
they do the calling out of an adversary to combat,
leave [leaves] us no others but these for such use;
since tlie proper word for such an act, ^provocaiion
(calling out), finding its place so supplied, has set up
business on its own account in another line, and
refuses to concern itself with the expression of
anything besides trial of temper." s 60-G3.

Cliay (for chaise), " the latter being mistaken for
a plural." aa 396.

Cheap (for low priced). "What is low-priced, as
everybody knows, is often dear; and what is high-
priced is often cheap." x 35.

Chemise (for smock), a 176.

CHEIIUBIN (for cherub), a 333. As to plural,
see X 3G.

Cbesnut. Preferable to chestnut, z.

CniEFEST (for chief), d 27.

CHARACTER — CIVILIZATION. 45

, Choose {for desire). "Used by lowbred people
with the peculiar meaning of to choose not to take
what is offered. A dish offered at the table is de
cliued with the words, ' I don't choose any.' " tt 453.
" This use of choose is no Americanism." v 220.

CB.VCK-F\JLL {for chock-full), tt 453. Allowed
by W.

Citizen {for person). "A citizen is a person
who has certain political rights, and the word is
properly used only to imply or suggest the posses-
sion of these rights." To say, "Several citizens
carried the victims of the accident into a shop."
would be as absurd as to say, " several church-
members," or "several Free Masons." a 101, x 36.

— City (for — ty). " — Tp added to adjective.
stems has the force of — ness, converting them
merely into abstract nouns, as benignity, certainty,
dignity. — City always implies the power or quality
of being or doing something, as capacity (power of
holding), tJe;;'ac% (quality of being truthful)." c 60.

r^^I!^" . „ „„ i "A civil man is one observant
Civilization. )

of slight external courtesies in the intercourse be-
tween man and man; a civil man once was one who
fulfilled all the duties and obligations flowing from
his position as a citizen. * * The gradual de-
parture of all deeper significance from ' civility ' has
obliged the creation of another word — 'civilization,
which only came up [came up only] toward the con-
clusion of the last century. Johnson does not icnow
it in his dictionary, except as a technical legal term

46 VERBAL PITFALLS.

to express the turning of a criminal process into a
civil one, and, according to Boswell, altogether dis-
allowed it in the sense -which it has now acquired."
p 39, vv 10, r 323.

CiiAiM. "A man may claim or demand his own —
a thing, an interest, or a promise ; but not that a
thing, or a fact, or a person is thus or so." aa49, X.

Clarionet (for ctenne^). See Violincello. a 101.

Claw (for clause), " to avoid the ' bad grammar'
of saying a clause." aa 396.

Clever. "One of the most disputed words in
our speech seems to have been undeservedly criti-
cised, as its meaning varies almost infinitely with
the locality where it is used. Bailey says of it:
' Clever is in all senses but a low word, scarcely ever
used but in burlesque and conversation, and applied
to anything a man likes, without a special meaning.'
If Northern people among us, therefore, choose to
employ it in the sense of good-natured and obliging,
there seems to be no ground whatever for objection.
Used in England generally for good-looking, or
handy and dexterous, the American pet-word smart
has largely superseded it in our speech, and only in
Virginia and some parts of the South clever is still
much used in its old English meaning of skilful at
work and talented in mind." tt 455, 547, y 180, v
220, X 36, pp. 213.

CLIMAX (for acme). " A use as wrong as it Is
popular, though sanctioned even by Prof. Skeat,
with whom the word means 'highest degree.' As

CIVILIZATION — COMMENCE. 47

well might ' ascending scale ' mean the top note of
the keyboard." c 14. Allowed by Wb.

Climb rtoAvn. tt 454, g l5.

Closed out (ef business), aa 488.

"C. O. D." aa489.

Co- (for con-, as a prefix). Co is used only when
the word to which it is joiued begins with a vowel
or h. Hence c«ntcmporary is preferable to cotempo-
vary. Copartner is an exception, x 37.

Coach (for car), tt o55.

Coincide. Not popularized, as applied figura-
tively, till July 4, 1826, when on thesemicentennial
of the Declaration of Independence there died
Thomas Jefferson, its author, and John Adams, its
principal champion. This was spoken of every-
where as a coincidence; and the death of ex-President
Monroe, July 4, 1831, gave the word increased cur-
rency, r 303, tt 455.

Collate {iov partake of collation), d 21.

Collect (of a single bill), aa 489.

Collide. "The Euglish generally use to colUmn."
tt 455, X.

Come {tor go). " 'I am coming to pay you a
visit. ' Coming is right. We might use going, but it
would be in the temporal sense, not in that of
motion." So ot come to grief . "I fear it is often
true of the effect of our public executions, that going
to the galloics is but too likely to end in coming to the
galloiDS." i 190, g 15.

CoMJiENCE {for begin). "But even commence is
not so bad as take the initiative." i 250, x 22, X.

<ib VERBAL PITFALLS.

"In the usage of good writers, commence is never
followed by the infinitive, but by a participle or
participial noun instead." G. P. Marsh, ciuoted
by Wi).

Commence. "Commencement cannot be prop-
erly predicated of a noun which docs not express the
idea of continuance. It may be said that a woman
commences married life, or that she commences
jilting, but not that she commences wife, or com-
mences jilt, any more than that she ends hussy." a
185, r 101, y 103, x 37.

The usage is, however, well establislied. "Who
commences galla n t. " — Steele, G iiardiun No. 17. ' 'First,
Young scholars make this calling tlieir refuge; yea,
perchance before they have taken any degree in the
university, commence sclwolnutvters." — IVios. Fuller.
"It is far too common, now a-days, for young nv. a
to commence word-coiners.''^ v 103. See vv 38, x 37.

Common Sense. " This phrase meant once
something very different from that plain wisdom,
the common hei-itnge of man, which we now call
by this name; having been bequeathed to us by a
very complex theory of the senses, and of a senfie
which was the common bond of them all, and which
passed its verdicts on the reports which they sever-
ally made to it." p 43.

Coiunmiiity (for the commvnity). r 364.
Compensate (for compensate fo?-). vv 12.
Compete. X.

COMPLAINABLE. E 225.

Complete. •' That is ichole iiom which nothing

COMMENCE — CONDUOTITIOUS. 49

has boen taken; that is entire which has not been
divided; that is complete which has all its parts.
Total refers to the aggregate of the parts. Thus we
say a whole loaf of bread ; an entire set of spoons ; a
complete harness, the total cost." r 365. " The
guilder of a house may finish it, and yet leave it
very incomplete" x 38. "When we speak of a
thing as complete, there is reference to some progress
which results in & filling out to some end or object."
Wb.
Comprehend. See Apprehend. Also ppp 312.

CoyiVT-RO-LijETi [ioT controller), i 13. "As a legal
or technical word, it is commonly written comptrol-
ler; in other uses, controller." W.

Compulsion (for obligation). "The former
being a physical, the latter a moral, necessity."
ppp 314.

Conclude (for decide, as '' diitcludes to live.")

vv no.

Condign "Means 'well merited.' * * Our
age never applies C"nd;ign but to ' jjunishment'; and
hence, acquiring the false signification of 'severe,'
condign is often tautologically coupled with ' de-
served.'" c 15, r 360, s 10(5, y 74, x 38. "This
word is now used only or chieily in connection with
the word puniiliment," W.

Condone " Bears properly the single meauiog of
'forgive,' but has become a portmanteau compound
of 'compensate,' 'atone for.'" c 15. "A stately
euphemism for pardon or overlool" v 299.

i)U VERBAL PITFALLS.

CONDUCT (for conduct one's self). "He conducts
well." r 352, tt 456. Not authorized by good usage
iu England. W. Wb.

CONDUCTITIOUS (for hired). "We have
heard of an Oxford fellow of a college who, on
meeting a friend on horseback, as the only way
which suggested itself of asking him if it (the horse)
was his own or hired or borrowed, dem.'iuded if it
were i)7-oimetary, conductiiious, or eleeriwsynary ! '*
f 259. Obsolete. Wb.

Confess to (for confess). " ' I confess to a little
curiosity on this subject.' — Moon. The natural re-
joinder by another critic was, ' Well, did the Little
Cuiiosity absolve you ? ' " d 140.

CONFINED (for brought to bed), a 178.

Con Fi KM ED INVALID, r 352, y 204, x 33.

CONFORM:A^XE. V 173.

Congratulate {ior felicitate). " When I con-
grntvJate a person, I declare t/iat I am sharer in his
joy, that what has rejoiced him has rejoiced me also.
We have all, I dare say, felt, even without having
analyzed the distinction between the words, that
congratulate is a far heartier word than /e^jcitafo, and
one with which it much better becomes us to wr-]-
come the good fortune of a friend; and the aKaly.-is
perfectly justifies the fesling." ppp 310. '• To fe-
licitate is simpiy to wish a person joy. To coiigral
iilafe has the additional sigaincatiou of uiiitino- in
the joy of him wiiom we coDgrat'jlate. Hence they
are by no means synonymous. One who has lost
the object of his affections by her marriage to a

CONDUCT CONTEMPTIBLE. 51

rival, might ^perhaps felictiate that rival on his suc-
cess, but could never be expected to congratulate
with him on such an event." Wb.

Connection. "In tliis connection is a favor-
ite phrase which Fitz Greene Halleck advised
Mr. Gould, the author of Good English, to doom to
what Sir Walter Scott's daughter called unquestion-
able fire." tt 457. See Kinsman.

Consequence (for importance, as ' 'persons of con-
sequence "). X 38, d 4G.

CONSIDER (for think, suppose, regard), a 101,
X 38. Allowed by "Wb., "followed by an adjective
or noun descriptive of what is attributed."

Considerable (as adverb or noun). "An un-
warrantable abuse." Cjnf:iderable of a. haiile. tt457.
Coustautly {lor frequentlg). c 17.
CoiKStated (for ascei-tained). c 66.

Construe (for w/z.^/rwc^. 1200. " Writers con-
strnct; readers construe." bb 67.

Consuininate {iox pierform). "I heard a gen-
tleman gravely say to two ladies, 'The marriage
\}&s, consummated Qii Paris, last April.' Now, con-
summation is necessary to a complete marriage, but
it is not generally talked about openly in general
society." a 103.

Contemplate (for propose), it 457.

Contemptible (for contemptiwvs). d 168, 2S2,
X 39. " To a gentleman who, at the close of a fierce
dispute with Porsou, exclaimed, 'my opinion of you

52 VERBAL PITFALLS.

is most contemptible, sir,' he retorted, 'I never knew
an opinion of yours that was not contemptible.' " c
62. "Adjectives in able and ible, both positive and
negative ones, are frequently used by old writers in
an active sense." p 46, aa 396, v 168, 222, gl6.
" The basest and meanest of all human beings are
generally the most forward to despise others. So
that the most contemptible are generally the most
contemptuous. "—Fielding.

"Contents NOTED." aa 492.

Continual (for contimious). "A continuous
action is one which is uninterrupted, and goes on
unceasingly us long as it lasts, though that time may
be longer or shorter. Continual is that which is
constantly renewed and recurring, though it may be
interrupted as frequently as it is renewed. A storm
of wind or rain which never intermits an instant is
continuous; a succession of showers is continual. If
I am exposed to continual interruptions, I cannot
pursue a continuous train of thought." k 55.

Continue on (for continue), x 39.

Contrary (for op2)osite). " Opposites complete,
while contraries exclude, one another." ppp 313.

Contrast to (for contrast with). Both allowable.
195.

CoNTKOVERSiALiST (for controvevtist). a 215, d
12. Defended, vv 57. .

Convene (for convoke). "The President convokes
Congress in special session, and then Congress con-

CONTEMPTIBLE CONTEMPOEAKT. 53

venes." a 103. "Differs from convoke as cause to
come together differs from call together." vv 73, x 39.
Convene (for convenience), r 347.

Convenient (for near at hand, as a well con-
venient to the house). " A new meaning, probably
due to Irish influence." tt 457.

Conversationalist (for conversationist), a 215,
r 357, d 17, x 39. Defended, vv 57.

Converse (for reverse, inverse, or opposite).
c 17.

Conversely {ior contrariwise). " Reverence for
age is a fair test of the vigor of youth; and conversely
insolence toward the old and the past, is a sign
rather of weakness than of strength." — G. Kingsley.
c 18.

Convict^' [ " '^^^^^ ^^^'^'^ ^^^^ ^^^^ usefully
desynonymized. One is convinced of a sin, but con-
meted oi a crime; the former word moving always
in the sphere of moral or intellectual things, but the
latter often in that of things merely external." p 47.

Cook-stove (for cooking stove), a 233.

Corporeal (for corporal, especially of punisli-
ment). r 344, x 40.

CORRESPOND WITH (for correspond to, as his
living corresponded icith his means), d 72. " Corre-
spond tcz'^/i a friend," "Corresponds to what I pre-
dicted." Wb.

Cortege (iov procession). X.

CoTEMroKAKY (for coateinporary). X^

54 VEKBAL PITFALLS.

CouNiRY DANCE (for contva dance), g 16.

Couple (for two). " For a couple is not only two
individuals who are, in a certain degree, at least,
equal or like, i. e., a pair, but two that are bound
together by some close tie or intimate relationship,
who, in brief, are coupled." a 103, aa 406, x 40. X.
Mathews says, " Couple for pair, or brace," though
in that sense it is correct, r 360, d 43. " I ven-
ture to cite a couple which I have noted in my
own neighborhood." s 36. " We occasionally meet
with a couple of words." s 117. "A pair is
a couple, and a brace is a couple; but a couple may or
may not be a pair or a brace." Quoted by W.

Covered iuto the Treasury, aa 486.
COVERLID (,for coverlet), tt 458.
Covetioiis (for covetous), i 63.
Cowciinil>er (for cucumber), tt 459.

CowPER. "How are we to call the Christian poet
who spells his name C o-w-p-e-r ? He himself has
decided this for us. He makes his name rhyme
with trooper. We must therefore call him Coo per,
not Cow per." i 54. ( Cole ridge in one place makes
his own name rhyme w'lih. polar ridge.)

Crack-iip. "Old English, though now vulgar
slang." 11593.
Credible (iov credulous). c63.

CREDITABLE (for credible). "I am creditahly
informed." c 63.

Crime (for vice, sin). " Crime is a violation of

COUNTRY DANCE — CURTITUDE. 55

the law of any particular country. What is crime
in one country, may not he crime in another; -what
is crime in one country at one time, may not he crime
in the same country at another time. Sin is the vio-
lation of a religious law, which may he common to
many countries, and yet be acknowledged by only
a part of the the inhabitants of any one. * * Vice
is a course of action or habit of life which is harm-
ful to the actor, er wrongful to others." a 104, x
40. "The words crime and criminal belong to all
languages: those of nin and sinner belong only to
the Christian tongue." r 71.

Criterion. "Generally has criteria as its plural;
for which we can see no sufficient reason." aa 449.

CEUSHED OUT (for crushed), r 346, x 41.

Crusty. " Nor is crusty, in the sense of peevish,
as low as it was once thought." y 177.

Cue. "Not in the ci<e for it" explained and de
fended, s 75.

Cultured, x 41.

Curious (for novel and noticeable), vv 23, x 41,
d61.

Curator. " It is told of a witty Scotch counsel,
that when pleading before the House of Lords, and
when corrected by one of their lordships for his false
quantity in pronouncing this word, he replied with
a profound bow, that he must submit to the author-
ity of so learned a sena'-tor and so eloquent an ora'-
tor." i 51.

Curtitude. tt 239. 4G0.

DAMAGEABLE (for detrimental), v 324. Rare.
Wb.

Damn (for watercress), a 230, tt 276.

Dander (for dandruff, as to get one's dander up).
tt461.

Dangerous (for in danger), r 358, x 41. Col-
loquial. W., Wb.

Dare. "'He d,are Hot,' 'he need not,' are pro-
nounced solecisms by Crombie, but philology justi-
fies the non-inflection of dare, it being really an old
past tense, like can and sliall. ' But,' says Prof.
Skeat, ' the foim he dares is now often used, and
will probably displace the obsolescent he dare,
though grammatically as incorrect as lie shalls or he
cans.' ' He dares (challenge) me to do it ' is of course
universal; and some grammarians {e. g., Mr. Mason,
p. 84) would draw a like distinction between ' He
7ieeds (transitive) nothing,' and ' He need (incomplete
predication) not do it.' A false analj^sis, however,
to an obsolscent form is hardly sufficient wari-anty
for need, which therefore we would change to needs
in: ' The harsh and salutary doctrine of self-depen-
dence neetZ never be heard of.'"— Miss Mulock. c
103, cf. aa 307, v 229.

DAMAGKABLK DECADE. 57

Darky (for negro). X. Low. W., Wb.

Darn (and similar couuterfeits of profanity).
" In form tbey are a disgrace to our speech; in senti-
ment, hardly an evidence of greater freedom from
national profanity." tt 596.

Dashed to pieces (of a person), d 135. W.
quotes Ps. ii, 9: "Thou shalt dash them m pieces
like a potter's vessel."

Day before yesterday (for the day before yes-
terday). X.

D^KD {lov utteHy). " Even H. W. Longfellow,
in his translation of Dante, where the poet describes
his weariness in climbing, and says that but for the
shortness of one ascent he had [been] well nigh
overcome, renders it thus: ' I would be dead beat.' "
tt 596. Collociuial. W.

Dead and buried, "dead and gone" and sim-
ilar expressions are to be deprecated. Those who
have died have usuaMy been buried, and ^they are
always gone.

Dearest. " A gentleman once began a letter to
his bride thus: 'My dearest Maria,' The lady re-
plied: 'My dear John, I beg that you will mend
either your morals or j'our grammar. You call me
your ' • dearest Maria " ; am I then to understand that
you have other Marias? ' "—Moon, x 41.

De trop (for disagreeable), d 113.

Debut. X.

Decade, "which began with denoting 'any ag-

68 VERBAL PITFALLS.

grcgate of ten,' has now come to mean decennium,OT
' space of ten years,' and learned writere so employ
it." V 304, c 18.

Decease (for die), r 108.

Deceased {fQv dead 2)erson). X.

Deceiving- (for trying to deceive). " You are
deceiving me." r 349, x 42, d 114.

Decimated (for daughtered). a 105, c 19, r 103, x
42. But see ppp 195.

Declamator. V 173.

Decompound (for decompose), v 224.

Decrease (as a verb). X.

Deducated. Approved, s 180. Ridiculed,

vl81.

Deduct (for deduce), c 65. Obsolete. Wb.

jyeHvLCtioii {ioT induction). "Induction is the
mental process by which we ascend to the delivery
of special truths; deduction is ilxc process by which
the law governing particulars is derived from a
knowledge or the law goverring the class to which
particulars belong." r 343.

Defendant (for defender), v C34.

Defalcation (for defaulting), a 106, p 53. aa 403.

Delusion (for illusion). "Illusion is applicable
especially to the senses or the imagination; delusion
to the mind." W.

Demand. " Should be only used in the sense of
to ask as a right." y 76, v 234.

DECEASE — DESIRABILITY. 69

.Oemean (for loicer or debase), c 20, aa S96, vv 104.;
X 43. d 44.

Democracy (for Democratic 'party). X,

Demoralized (for scared). "'The horse, in
addition to losing all the hair on his tail, became
cousidevahly demo7'ali?.ed."' s 190. For foim, see
V 295.

Demure. " Used by our earlier writers without
the insinuation, which is now always latent in it,
that the external shows of modesty and sobriety rest
upon no corresponding realities." p 55, ppp ICJ,

Denuded (for bare), x 43.

Deny (for refuse), v 235.

Departure. "' To take one's departure' is a
corruption of the accurate form, ' to take one's
leave,' which, in its turn, is an elliptical expression
for ' to take one's leave to depart.' " s 110.

Bevot {iov sfrft'ion). a 148, tt 355, x 166. (For
siore-Jiouse). c 60.

Deprecate (for censure), x 43.

Description (for kind or sort). "His manners
were in truth not always of the most amiable descrip-
tion."— PURKELL. c 20.

Desirability. "Here are a few words, as in-
stances, which liave been wrongfully objected to:
talented (which after all is wrongfully accused of
being a new word, it being really a revived one),
ventilate, enlinldenment, reliable, desirahiUty ; surely,
no sane man can see a possibility of ousting any one

60 VERBAL PITFALLS.

of tliese words, however faultily formed, from a
language wliicli needs to express their meaning, has
no equivalent to supply their places, and, in fact,
employs them universally in speech and writing,
day by day." s 163, y 105, i 253.

Desperate. "Home Tooke— Yon v!o\\\({ think
me vulgar if I called a man a desperate fool, or a
house a desperate big house.

"Dr. Johnson— Kj, indeed I should." h III, 206.

Deteriorate " is wholly different from deiract,
'to take away from one's credit." c 21.

Develop (for expose). X.

Devouring element (tor fire). X.

Diametrically (for absolutely), "In 'The
charge is diametrically opposite to the truth,' we
have both ends of the diameter, 'truth' and 'the
charge,' but in 'Mottoes which are diametrically
untrue,' one end is left unknown, much as though
one shall say 'Edinburgh is 300 miles distant,' and
not add whence." c 21.

DIFFER. " Differ /ruOT is used to express mere
unlikeness; differ with, to express the action of intel-
ligent beings. ' I beg leave to differ from you ' is
correct ; ' I beg leave to differ tcith you, ' is incorrect. "
aa 452. ^Iathews would make differ with mean
to agree with auoll^er in differing from a third, r
344, X 50, V 82. "Differ tcith is used in reference
to opinions; as, ' differ wiY/t my friend on that point.'
In all other cases, exprj^bing simple unlikeness.

DESPERATE DIFFERENT. 61

diSerfrom is used; as, ' These two persons or things
differ entirely /?'tfm each other.' This distinction is
fully established in England, and, to a great extent,
in America." Wb.

Different. "In America, we usually say dif-
ferent fi'om;' in England they seldom or never do.
Yet it is certain that our usage not only conforms
more closely to the genius of the language, but is
inherited from the older English writers. It is hard
to say how the abomination of 'different to' crept
into modern English, as written and spoken in Eng-
land; but at all events it is current enough now.
Thackeray, perhaps the most consummate master of
English of his day, was once talking with Lowell
(himself hardly, if at all, the inferior of Thackeray
in that respect), with regard to Henry Esmo7id,
which the novelist had just finished. He challenged
Mr. Lowell to find a single sentence or phrase in
that book, which, so far as usage was concerned, a
writer of Esmond's day would not have employed.
Lowell promptly fastened upon 'different to,' and
Thackeray was forced to own the slip into which
modernized English had betrayed him." — N. Y.
Times, Aug. 28, 1867. But see v 274, 3G2, d 77.
"Though first class writers have here and there let
different to escape their pens, it can hardly be shown
that any of them have given into it advertently. Mr.
Thackeray, in The Neweomes, after having invaria-
bly' used different to, preferred different from at p.
112 of Vol. IV (Tauchnitz Ed.) and theii afterward."
V 81. "Yet lenient as Mr. Hall is to popular usage.

62 VERBAL PITFALLS.

he cannot but censure 'different tJian^ as 'a result
of mere heedlessness,' different being here clearly
confounded witli other" c 113, a 418, aa 897, r 344,
y 205, V 81, i 193, x 50.

Diamond. "This, ov diamant as it used to be
spelt, is a popular form of adamant. The Greek
dSdnoci, originally used of the hardest steel, was
about the time of Theophrastus, and, so far as we
know, first in his writings, transferred to the dia-
mond, as itself of a hardness not to be subdued ; and
the Latin adamas continued through the Middle
Ages to bear this double meaning. But if 'adamant'
meant 'diamond,' then 'diamond' by a reactive
process frequent in language would be employed
for ' adamant ' ae well. So far as I know, Milton
is the last writer who so uses it." (Paradise Lost,
book VI). p 59, s 44, y 210. So diamondiferous
should be adamantiferous. v 177.

Die with (for die of), x 50, g 18.

Difficulty, v 189.

Diffidence. " Expresses now a not unbecoming
distrust of one's owb self, with only a slight intima-
tion that perhaps this distrust is carried too far."
p60.

Dilemma. "The proper word of relation is be-
tween. When the dilemma is presented he is upon
neither horn, and he never is upon both." aa 448.

Diocess (for diocese), i 33, y 213.

DIRECTLY (for as soon as). " But this does not
make it the less really trifiicg, or hinder one (one's)

DIAMOND DISCOMMODE. 63

nowadays seeing it to be trifling, direc-lly we exam-
ine it."— M. Arnold, c 118. " Direclly I found
the house inhabited by living people, I began to be
sorry."— Ho WELLS, a 186, aa 412, r 353, v 275, 292,
X 50, d 117. "This use of the word, although very
eommon in England and gaining ground in the
United States, is not sanctioned by the authority of
careful wrileis, and must be regarded as a gross
solecism." Wb,

Direful, c 63.

Dirt (for earth, loam, gravel, sand). "Dirt nacans
filth, and primarily filth of tlie most offensive kind.

* * * We sometimes hear ' clean dirt '
spoken of. There is no such thing," a 106, tt 463,
X 51. Di7-t is matter out of place.

Disagree. " In your report this morning, * *
it is stated that Mr Gladstone used the expression
' disagreed /?w?i,' and Mr. Disraeli that of 'disagreed
to,' * * * and that the amendment was
' disagreed /rom.' In proposing the rejection, *

* * Mr. Gladstone adopted the expression
'disagreed with,' which is in common use." — London
Times, July 13. 1870. c 113, y 205, v 82. -'Usually
followed by with, sometimes by to, rarely by from."
Wb.

Disappointed. " One is disappointed t>f a thing
not obtained, and i?i a thing obtuiaed." g 18.

Disbarrassed. a 409.
DiscoMMOUE (for inco III mode), x 51.

t>4 VERBAL PITFALLS.

DISCOUNTED (for discountenanced or dmdlawed).
"His opinion should be wholly discounted."— Bi^m.
C21. Rare. Wb.

Discover (for reveal), v 2G7.

Discriminate (for distinr/uisJi). d CO. "To dfs-
tingmsh is a general, to discriminate, a particular
term." W.

Dish of tea. v 235. "He (Addison) also says
' a dish of coflfee ; ' yet coffee never was offered in a
dish, unless it was done by tlic fox to the crane
after the dinner he gave him." h III, 179.

Disillusiou (as a verb), c C6.
DISL0GI8TIC. V 308. Rare. Wb.
Disposition (for disposal). " I leave what I have
written entirely at your disposUiou.. "—Ghote. c 61.

Disremeiiibor (for forget), x 51. "Obsolete
in England, local in America." Wb.

Disseminatccl (for laioicn). c 21.

Dissuade. "The present meaning, to 'divert by
persuasion,' is not yet in tlie dictionaries." v 237.

Distinguish (for discriminate), x 51.

Divine (for clergy man). " The use of the adjec-
tive as a noun lias a parallel in calling a philosopher
a philosophic, which is done in a newspaper article
before me; in the more common designation of a
child as {a) juvenile, and even of books for children
as juveniles ; in the phrase obituary, meaning an
jbituary article; and in the name monthly, which
is sometimes given to a literary magazine: all of

DISCOUNTED — DOUBT. 65

•wliicli are equally at variance with reason and with
good taste." a 107. But see vv 73.

Do (to avoid repeating another verb), r 364, x 53.

Dock (for «c7«f«/ or 2wr). " A dock is an open
place without a roof, into which anj'thing is re-
ceived, and where it is enclosed for safety. A pris-
oner stands, or used to stand, in the dock at his trial.
A ship is taken into a dock for repairs. * * *
The shipping around a city lies at wharfs and jners,
but 2;ot'S into docks. A man might fall into a dock,
but to say that he fell off a dock is no better than to
say that he fell off a hole." a 107, x 51.

Dominies. "With a long o, not 'dominies,'
as in Scotland, for schoolmasters — is a title still used
for their ministers by the so called Dutch Reformed
Church, in portions of New York and New Jersey."
tt 464.

Domesticated (for domestic, of housekeepers,
etc.) s 187.

Donate (for give). "I need hardly say that this
word is utterly abominable." a 205, r 163. X. But
see vv 75, x 53,

Done (fordid, as imperfect tense), a 130.

Don't (for doesn't), aa 430, r 349, tt 599, x 53,
■w 354.

Doubt (for doubt whctltcr). I doubt it is so. r
344. " '1 doubt you are wrong,' is said for 'I be-
lieve you are wrong.' This is elliptical. 'I come
to the conclusion, or the suspicion, by doubting on
points about it, that you are wrong.' " h III, 803.

6^ VERBAL PITFALLS.

Doxiht hnt (for doubt). " I have no doubt but
tJiai it is so." y 209, i 180.

Dove (for dived). "Dove as if he were a beaver."
— LoneFELLOw. tt 464, pp 210.

D0WN STAIRS (for below stairs). " We go up stairs
to get sometliing that is above stairs, and down
stairs to get something that is below stairs." aa 450.

DowNVTARD. See Afterwards, d 25.

Drag'omeu (for dragomans), g 19.

Drank (for drunk, as participle), a 121. vv 65.

Drawing-room. The usual English word for
what we call the parlor, x 137.

Dreadful. Continually misused, tt 464.

DiiESS (for goicn). " Dress is a, general term, in-
cluding the under garments as well as the outer." a
108, R 405, X 54.

Dressing (for stuffing, as of a fowl). "This is
one of the painful affectations of nicety in language,
and lite many other niceties it exhibits the igno-
rance instead of the knowledge of the speaker."
d 132.

Drive (for ride). " According to the present
usage of cultivated society in England, ride means
only to go on horseback, * * and drive,

only to go in a vehicle which is drawn by any crea-
ture that is driven." a 192, r 365. Alford does not
regard this distinction, i 230, d 94.

Dry (for thirsty), v 228.

Due (for owing). That is dtie which ought to be

DOUBT BUT — DUTCH. 67

paid, as a debt; that is owing which is to be referred
to as a source, x 54.

Duffle is a word not yet given in the dictiona-
ries a signification common among Adiroudaclc
tourists, of camp baggage.

Dunce. From Duns Scotus. "That the name
of 'the Subtle Doctor,' as he was called, one of the
keenest and most subtlewitted of inen,— accord iog
to Hoolcer, 'the wittiest of the scho»l divines,'—
should become a synonym for stupidity and obsti-
nate dulness, was a fate of which even his bitterest
e-dmies could never have dreamed." r 298, ppp 167,

Durst (for dared). "Dr. Webster's editors in-
i orms us that the past participle of the verb neuter
Hare is durst. But among what barbarisms is ' I
have not dnrst do it ' good English? Moreover, the
preterite of the neuter dai'e has been, optionally
with durst, dared, for two centuries and longer." v
229. Wb. and W. give dared.

Dutch. "Till late in the seventeenth century
J>;;fc7j meant generally 'German,' and a Dutchman
a native of Germany, while what we should now
term a Dutchman would have been named then a
Hollander." p 68. To call now a German a Dutch-
man is as great an offence as to call an Irishman a
Paddy.

Each (for every; as Each man's happiness depends
on himself). "Though common in Scotland and
America, is now un-English." v 330.

Each and Every (often followed by plural
verb). "When I consider how each of these pro-
fessions are [is] crowded." — Addison, a 75.

"About one thousand men entered Castle bar,
each supplied with a shiilelah, and headed by a band."
—Pall Mall Gazette, s 108.

Each other (for one another, of more than two).
x64.

Eat (as a transitive verb). A Western steam-
boat is said to be able " to eat four hundred pas-
seugers and to sleep at least two hundred." tt 466.

Ate and eateji are to be preferred as tlie preterite
and participle, x 55.

Earthwards. See Afterwards, d 25.

Eates. See Alms.

Ecstasy (for exiasy). i 20.

-Edge. "Monosyllables and the word acknowl-
edge are spelled with a d; therefore ledge, fledge,
pledge, sedge, sledge, but sacrilege, privilege, allege, col-
lege." J 200.

EACH — EFFLUVIA. 69

EDITORIAL (for leading article), a 109, tt 466,
x55.

Education. A synonymn for culture, x 55. Dis-
tinguished from instruction, ppp 315.

Educational. " We are now used to educational,
and the word is serviceable enough; but I can
remember, when a good many years ago an ' Educa-
tional Magazine ' was started, one's first impression
was that a work having to do with education should
not thus bear upon its front an offensive, at best a
very questionable novelty in the English language."
pp 133. "In The Literary Churchman for 1856,
p. 93, educational is sneered at as 'unscholastic'
Two pages after it is used in an original review
article. "William Taylor used this adjective in 1810;
and he had been anticipated by Burke. It was in
jjrint, however, long before Burke's time. See John
Gaule's IlvZ-ixecvtia (1652), p. 30." v 131, tt4G6.

Educator. " Used more than once by English
writers, has only recently obtained that currency
among us which it had never been able to secure
before. As there is need for a word which shall
comprehend every kind of person who devotes him-
self to the education of the young, from the chil-
dren's governess to the renowned professor, the term
will probably become more and more useful." tt 466.

Effectuate. "Appears to be making way in
English in spite of our struggle against it." y 183,
vv 92, a 141, X 55.

Effluvia (as a singular), r 3G4, x 56.

70 VERBAL PITFALLS.

EGOIST (for egotist), x 56. Wb. gives egotism as
his last definition of egoism. Properly the egoist is
selfishly thinking onlj' of himself; while the egotist
is ;>hallow, talking too much of himself.

Either (for any one). ' ' By the almost unani-
mous consent of grammarians, either, as a distribu-
tive adjective always retains the notion of duality. "
c 33, a 363, d 50, r 350, s 103, x 56, 137, y 303. Either
may, however, be used for each, as it originally' meant
loth, or each oftico. c 33, a 261. But see r 350.

(as a conjunction). " It seems to be gen-
erally conceded that eitJter and neither, though orig-
inally contemplating no more than a duality, may
be freely extended to any number of alternatives. "
(See this writer's own restriction of the use of
alternative under that word, page — !) Though this
is conceded by Hall (v 197), and by Bain (e 146),
Laudorsays: " iVaYA^r applies to two, not more,"
Biog. ly Foster, ii 530. ' ' ' Passengers are earnestly
requested not to hold conversation with either con-
ductor or driver,' implies that there are two conduc-
tors and two drivers." aa 411. Before each of the
last two noims the should be supplied.

(for each), x 56. As to pronunciation, see

ithcr, vv 50.

Elect (for choose), r 103, y 105.

Electropatliy. a 213.

Elegant {iorfine). x 57.

Eliiiiiiiate (for elicit). The word obtained gen-
eral currency from its use in algebra, where it sigui-

EGOIST — EMULATE. 71

fles the process of causing a function to disappear
from an equation. In other words, elimination has
but one corraot signification, viz, "the extrusion of
that which is superfluous or irrelevant." Its use,
instead oi elicit, remiuils PruC. Hodgson of Garrick"s
reply to an actor wlio said: "I think that I struck
out some beauties in my part." "I think you
struck them all out," replied Garrick. c 2o.

!Else (often omitted); as, "I don't think there is
anything [else] equal to cheese for dessert."

Embezzle. " ' He was embezzled.' " aa 402.

Emblem (for motto, sentiment). The figure is
the emblem: not the accompanying motto.

Emekgent. " This word is never used in mod-
ern English in a concrete sense. We may say an
emergent occasion, or emergent doubts, but not an
emergent candidate, or an emergent character." y
183.

EMPLOY^: (for servant), aa 443, s 181, X.
"Though ptrfcctly conformable to analogy, and
therefore perfectly legitimate, is not sanctioned by
the usage of good writers." Wb.

Emulate. "We ought by all means to note the
dillei'ence between e/iy^ and emulation; which lat-
ter is a brave and noble thing, and quite of another
nature, as consisting only in a generous imitation
of something excellent, and that such an imitation
as scorns to fall short of its copy, but strives if pos-
sible to outdo it. The emulator is impatient of a
superior, not by depressing or maligning another,
but by perfecting himself." — Southey. p 72.

72 VERBAL PITFALLS.

EN ROUTE. X.

Enacted (for acted). X.

ENACTMENT (for acting), r 103. Allowed by
Wb.

Enceinte (for with child), a 177/-

Enclose. ) Sec Enquire.
Endorse. ) See Indorse.

Enclosed (for accompanying), i 89.

Enclosure. "Usage seeras to have fixed tlie
meaeing in the latter of the two seuses, viz, the
thing enclosed. An envelope is not said to be the
enclosure of the letter, bat the letter is said to be the
enclosure of \\\Q iin\iAo])Q." 189. Wb. gives, "that
which encloses."

Endeavor. Formerly a reflective verb, i 105.

Enhiing'er (for leave hungry). Approved, a
410. But Mr. Hull calls it "simply a barbarism."
vl94.

Engross. " The scrivening use of the word en-
gross is now almost entirely limited to writing on
parchment, as distinguished from writing on paper;
the distinction being, however, wholly an arbitrary
one." s 88.

Enjoy. " Surely a person who says, ' I enjoyed
myself &X the concert,' does not intend to imply that
he found enjoyment in himself and not in the music.
Yet enjoy means 'to joy in,' not ' to amuse, '' to
divert,' or 'to please.'" c 93.

EN ROUTE EPIDEMIC. 73

(for suffer). "Enjoying bad health." y

205, X 58. V 203.

Enlightenment. See Deniability. "Those
■who object to the word will ordinarily be found to
object to all it stuuds for." v 305, w 158.

Enquire. "That Johnson gives this class of
words with [?J the prefix in must be attributed to a
tendency not UHCommon but not healthy to follow
words of Norman or French origin back to their
Latin roots. * * The best lexicographers and phil-
ologists now discourage this tendency, * * But it
must be confessed that the class of words in ques-
tion is notably defiant of analogy; and very much in
need of regulation. For instance, enquire, enquiry,
inquest, inquisition. No one would think of writing
enquest and enquisition. Tke discrepancy is of long
standing, and must be borne, except by those who
choose to avoid it by writing inquire for the sake of
uniformity; condemnation of which may be left to
purists " a 207, 447, i 19. So even of entire, y 213.
But see v 159.

Entail (for leads to), i 252.
Enthuse, a 207, r 363, tt 467, x 58.
Entire. See Complete.

Epidemic (for endemic). "The former means
strictly a disease which breaks out and diffuses
itself widely over a community, and which sooner
or later abates and disappears, possibly never to
eturn. The latter means a disease which prevails
^n and pertains to a particular neighborhood. " aa 4G6,.

ii VERBAL PITFALLS.

Epitket (as necessarily decrying), x 59, d 58.
EPSILON (for cpsilon), i 62.
Equally as well (for equally welt), r S53, s 100,
x59.

EQUANIMITY OF MIND, r 348, y 204, x 59.
So of a capricious mind, x 122.

Esquire. "I have yet to discover what a man
means when he addresses a letter to John Dash,
Esq. (who is in no manner distinguished or distin-
guishable from other Dashes) except that Mr. Dash
shall think he means to be polite." a 109, tt 467,
X 60. X.

Essay (for try, followed by an infinitive), y 103.

Etcetera. "&c., &c. is very frequently read
'and so forth, and so forth ' ; and what is worse,
many people who read it properly, ei cetera, regard
it and use it as a more elegant ecjuivalent of 'and so
forth '; but it is no such thing. Et cetera is merely
Latin for arid the rest, and is properly used in sched-
ules or statements after an account given of partic-
ular things, to include other things loo unimportant
and too numerous for particular mention. But the
phrase, and so forth has quite another meaning, i.e.,
and as before so after, in the same strain. It
implies the continuation of a story in accordance
willi the beginning." aSOS.

Evacuate (for Icayve). "Evacuate does not mean
to go away, but to make empty." a 109, c 28.

Eventuate, a 149, aa 459, i 250, x 00. Defended,
vv 77. Rare in England. Wb., W,

EPITHET— EXCEPT. 75

Every once iu a while. "Absurd and
meaningless." aa 410.

Every (for entire or all). ' ' Rendered them every
assistance " is absurdly wrong. ''Every is separa-
tive, and can be applied only to a whole composrd
of many individuals." a 110, r 360, x 60.

" ' Every person rose and took their leave.' " aa
421.

Every wheres (for everywhere).

Evidence (for testimony). " Eviclence relates to
the convictive view of any one's mind; testimony to
the knowledge (?) of another concerning some fact.
The evidence in the case is often the reverse of the
testimony." r 347, x 62. "Testimony is the evi-
dence of one; evidence may comprehend the testi-
mony of many," W.

Evince (for shoio), "One of the most odious
words iu all this catalogue of valgarities." i 24fc.

Evolute (for evolutionize). aa 455. W. and Wb.
do not give either word.

EXAMPLE {iorprohhm). "A problem is often
an example of a rule, but not always: and in any
case its exemplary is not its essential character." a
112.

Except (for bemies). " ' Few ladies, excejjt Her
Majesty, could have made themselves heard.' From
what list is Her Majesty excepted, or taken out?
Clearly not from among the few ladies spoken of,"
i221.

76 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Except "is questionably used as a conjunction.
* * Unless would be held preferable, as it

certainly would to iciihout." c 117, r 360, y 206,
x63.

Exceptionable (for exceptional). "'This gen-
tleman has spent several months of active travel and
diligent inquiry in the country, penetrating to the
Sierra Nevada, and spending some weeks in close
observation in Utah, where, through a concurrence
favorable circumstauces, he enjoyed exceptionable
opportunities for acquainting himself with the or-
ganization, probity, and inner life of the Mormons.' "
d97.

Excessively (for exceedingly), v 350, x 62.

Executed (for Itung). "'To execute (from
sequor) is to follow to the end, and so to carry out, to
perform; and how is it possible that a human being
can be executed? * * A law may be exe-
cuted ; a sentence may be executed ; and the execu-
tion of the law or of a sentence sometimes, though
not once in a thousand times, results in the death
of the person upon whom it is executed.' " a 111,
aa 424, x 63. But see vv 78. " Execntioner, which
we use only in one sense, would pass clear out of
our language, under Mr. White's purification of it."

Two well-dressed women were examining a statue
of Andromeda, labelled " Executed in Terra-cotta."
Said one, "Where is Terra-cotta?" The other re-
plied, "I am sure I don't know, but I pity the poor
girl, wherever it was."

EXCEPT — ^EXPLODE. 77

Exemplary (for excellent). "This misuse of exem-
plary confines it to examples which should be fol-
lowed. But some examples are not to be followed.
A man is hanged for an example." a 113, p 76.

Expect (for suppose). "Expect refers only to
that which is to come, and which, therefore, is
looked for {ex, out, and spectare, to look). We can
not expect backward." a 113 aa 433, tt COl, x 63,
g20.

Experienced. "From the noun experience is
formed the participial adjective experienced (which
is not the perfect participle of a verb experience), as
moneyed, from money, landed from laud, talented
from talent, * * Battlemented is not a part of a verb,
Ibatilevteid, tltou battlementest, etc; or talented from
a verb — 1 talent, thou talentest, etc." a 113, i 115,353.
But see vv 31, x 03.

EXPERIMENTALIZE, a 314, d 17.

Exploit (as a verb). They did not exploit that
passion of patriotism." — Lowell, My Study Win-
dows, p. 89. c 66. Obsolete. W. Wb.

Explode. "All our present uses of exj)lode,
whether literal or figurative, have reference to burst-
ing, and to bursting with noise; and it is for the
most part forgotten, I should imagine, that these are
all secondary and derived; that to ex^Jlode, originally
an active verb, means to drive off the stage with
loud clapping of the hands: and that when one of
our early writers speaks of an exploded heresy or an
exploded opinion, his image is not drawn from some-

78 VERBAL PITFALLS.

thing which, having burst, has perished so; but he
would imply that it has been contemptuously driven
off from the world's stage." p. 77.

Exponential {erponentaT). a 217. But see vv 68.
Exponental not given by W. or Wb.

Extend (of invitations, etc.). a 115. r 359, x 63.

EXTRA (of newspapers), aa 373. Colloquial. W.

Fall (for autumn). "By no means an Ameri-
canism." tt 4G8, y 182, pp 201.

Faithful (with ^romse). "/ faithful promise!
Thai puzzles me. I have heard of a faithful per-
formance. But a faithful promise; tLe fidelity of
promising!" — Mm Austen, c 28.

Family, " A man of famili/ iieans in England a
man well connected; in America a man having wife
and children." tt 468.

Fancy, Distinguished from imagination, ppp
294.

Fare thee well. "Plainly wrong." r 364.

Fast (for immoral). " A fast man is a man that
has more money to spend than he has time to spend
it in." aa 376. " 'By a fast man, 1 suppose you
mean a loose one,' said Sir Robert Inglis, to one who
was describing a rake." r 297.

FEEL OF {tovfeel). w 107.

Felicitously. " Oh for an Act of Parliament
for the transportation to America or Van l)i -'men's
Land of the vile infelicissimous felicitoucly." — Cole-
ridge. But see v 76.

Fellowship (as a verb), a 209, tt 238.
Female (for woman). When a woman calls her-

bO VERBAL PITFALLS.

self a female, she merely shares her sex witli all
her fellow females throughout the brute creation."
a 180, c 29, aa 3'JO, tt 469, i 21G.

" ' "We read o ly the other day a report of a lec-
ture on the poet Crabbe, in which she who was
afterward Mrs. Crabbe was spoken of as " a female
to whom he had formed an attachment." To us,
indeed, it seems that a man's wife should be spoken
of in some way which is not equally applicable to a
ewe lamb or a favorite mare. But it was a "female"
who delivered the lecture, and we suppose the
females know best about their own affairs.' " r 101.

"In the many surgings of the mighty crowd, I
had actually labored to assist and protect two ( I
was going to say ladies, but ladies are grateful; I
can't say young persons, for they wore n't young;
nor can I say women, for that is considered a slight;
or females, for such persons are not supposed to
exist), — well, two individuals of a different sex
from my own. s79."

Feminine. "The distinction between feminine and
effeminate, that the first is 'womanly,' the second
'womanish,' the first what becomes a woman and
.may under certain limitations and without reproach
be affirmed of a man, while the second is that which
under all circumstances dishonors a man, as man-
nish would dishonor a woman, is of comparatively
modern growth." p 80.

Few. "The accuracy of a few is sometimes ques-
tioned, on the assumption that it cannot be correct

FEMALE FIKST-KATE, 81

because a many is incorrect; but both are right. The
indefinite article has a singular meaning, but it is
also applicable to a collective number; as a hundred;
a great many is also correct, like so many, very many
being a manner of comparative designation,
"full mamj a gem of purest ray serene"
is but a later and substituted rse for a many gems.
Few without the article has almost a negative sense,
meaning almost none", d 99,

Fetch; see Bring.

Fiddle de-dee 1 "Semi-sanctioned." s 143.

Figure (for amount, sum.) d 112.

Final {with completion) r 348, y 203, x 65.

Fire (for throio or shoot.) "When hand tire arms
came into use, and very slowly superseded the bow,
the musketeer carried a lighted match, and the
word of command was, 'Give fire!' that is, put tire
to the powder. Tliis, was soon naturally abreviated
to 'fire.' Hence^j-e came to be used, pardonably as
to arms, for shoot." aa 408, tt 470.

First (for any, as "have yet to see the first in-
stance"). "The phrase stands about midway between
the painfully am&Uious and the painfully elaborate
styles, with a suspicion of the painfully emphatic
somewhere about." x 118.

First-rate. "I should have used the word
•without scruple, even were I sure that it had never
been used before." a 238, tt G02. But see vv 9!),
x65.

82 VERBAL PITFALLS.

FIRST TWO. '"In the first two of these
examples,' etc. Had the examples in the text been
arranged in twos, ' the first two ' would have been
correct, but as they are not so arranged it is faulty.
It should have been 'the two first,' i. e., the two
standing first in the list or number. * * Let us sup-
pose a company of soldiers drawn up in a row at
(.cpial distances from each other. In speaking of
those at the beginning of the row we should say
'the two first,' ' the three first,' &c; but imagine
them drawn up in twos, we ought to say 'the first
two,' 'the second two,' &c, otherwise we would
[should] not describe them correctly. Should any
reader call in question the existence and necessity
of the idiomatic distinction now pointed out, we
should refer him to Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the
Roman Empire, where he will find the difctinction--
maintained throughout that vast work. One occurs
at the very beginning: 'The seven first centuries
were filled with a succession of triumphs." a 182.
u 171. " Obscurity and affectation are the two
greatest faults of style." — Macaulay, Essay on
MacJdavelU. "It is with the two first classes." v
153. But see i 145, d 137.

FIRSTLY (for first), r 357, d 24, x 65, "It is
sometimes used by respectable writers instead of
first." W. "Improperly used for first." Wb.

Fix. "May be safely called the American word of
words, since there is probably no action whatever,
performed by mind or body, which is not repre-

FIRST TWO— FLOCK. S3

sented at some time or other by Ihis universal term
"It has well been called the strongest evidence of
that natural indolence which avoids the trouble of
careful thought at all' hazards, and that restless
hurry which ever makes the word welcome that
comes up first and saves time. Whatever is to be
made, whatever needs repair, whatever requires ar-
rangement— all \a fixed. The VdvmQV fixes his gates,
the mechanic his work-bench, tke seamstress her
sewing machine, the fine lady her hair, and the
school-boy his rules. The minister forgets to fir his
his sermon in time, the doctor his medicines, and
the lawyer to^j; his brief. At public meeting it is
fixed who are to be the candidates for office, rules
diVe fixed io govern an institution, and when the ar-
rangements are made, the people contentedly say.
Now everything is fixed nicely. It is not to be won-
dered at that Americans should be so continuously
in a fix. FLvings very naturally abound, from Rail-
road Fixings, to the chicken Fixings, the universal
dish of the South and West." tt 472, y 180.

Flock. Distinctions in the use of collective nouns
have been thus pointed out:

A flock of girls is called a bevy; a bevy of wolves
a pack; a pack of thieves a gang; a gang of angels
a host; a host of porpoises a shoal; a shoal of buffalo
a herd; a herd of children a troop; a troop of part-
ridges a covey; a covey of beauties a galaxy; a gal-
axy of ruffians a horde; a horde of rubbish a heap;
a heap of oxen a drove; a drove of blackguards a
mob; a mob of whales a school; a school of wor-

b4 TEIiliAL Pl'fFALLS.

shipers a congregation; a congregation of engineers
a corps; a corps of robbers a band; a band of locusts
a swarna ; a swarm of people a crowd.

Fly (for /ee). "Flee is a general term, and
means to move away with voluntary rapidity; fl.y is
of special application, and means to move with
wings, either quickly or slowly, a 116, tt 473, x 65.

Fly's (for flks). i 22.

Fond (for desirous). " 'I fancy he will not be
very fond of prolonging his visit." v 231.

Folks {ior folic). " As folk implies plurality, the
« is needless." r 365. "In New England, especially,
iised very generally for people. Neighbors espe-
cially are folks." tt 474. " Dr. Johnson says of folk
that 'it is properly a collective noun and has no
plur-al, except by modern corruption.' Yet John-
son, as well as others, wrote the word folks." W.

For (for from). "Died for waat."— Goldsmith.
v231.

For long (for for a long time), d 136.

Forcep {tor forceps). "Please hand me & for-
cep." g 21.

Formal. "It is curious to trace the steps by
■which fonaality, which meant in the language of
the schools the essentiality, the innermost heart of
a thing, that which gave it fonn and shape, the
forma formans, should now mean something not
merely so different but so opposite." p 84.

FoRMUL/E {for formulas). " It may be regarded as

FLY FKOM WHENCE. 85

an open question •whether foi-mtdas is not preferable
to formulce." c 70.

Forward, "upward, downward, toward, and
other compounds of ward have been written also
forwards, upwards, and so forth, from a period of
remote antiquity. * * But there seems hardly a
doubt that the s is a corruption, as well as a super-
fluity." a 211.

France. ) ""We consider now, and consider

Frenchman. ) rightly, that there was properly no
France before there were Franks, and, speaking of
the land or people before the Frankish occupation
[A. D. 438], we now say Oaid, Gauls and Gaulish,
just as we should not now speak of Caesar's " jour-
ney into England." p 85.

Fraud, (for Mm who commits framed), d 130.

Friend (fov acquaintance). " Some philosopher
has said that he who finds half a dozen friends in
the course of his life may esteem himself fortunate;
and yet to judge from many people's talk, one
would suppose they had friends by the score." x 66.

FROM (omitted). "Ere he thoroughly recovered
(from) the shock." — Charles Reade. a 53.

(superfluous). With thence, whence, v 353,

dl09.

From out (for from). "From out the castle."
d 110.

From Whence. The expression from whence
though seemingly justified by very frequent usage,

8t> VEBBAL PITFALLS.

is taxed by Dr. Johnson as a nervous mode of
speech; seeing whence alone has all the power of
from whence, which therefore api)ears an unneces-
sary reduplication. Blair, I. 318.

Freezcd (for frv:cn). The following lexicogra-
phers all conjugate this verb freeze, froze, frozen, viz:
Sberwo©d(1673), Meige 1687), Johnson (1755), Fea-
ning (1781), Sheridan (1780, Walker (1791), Jones
(1798), Bootk (1835), Ogilvie (1856), Craig (1858),
Worcester (1874), Webster (1875), Latham (1876),
Chambers (1870), and Stormonth (1877). It is there-
fore, safe to say that the English diction:uios for
over two hundred years have almost uniformly
formed the past participle of "freeze"' as frozen and
notfreezed. The only exception we liave found is
Richardson's dictionary (1837) which, differing from
all the rest in this particular, rejects both "frozen"
and "freezed," and conjugates the verb Xhns: freeze,
froze, frozed. So much for the dictionaries.

The standard English (or King James's) version
of the Bible is good authority, and it uses only the
form "frozen." See Job xxxviii. 30, where the
Lord says to Job: "The waters are hid as with a
stone, and the face of the deep \s frozen." The only
classic English writer who uses the form "freezed,"
so far as we can remember, is Milton, who says, in
"Comus," line 449:

"What was tliat suaky-Iieadeci (lorgon shield
That wise Minerva wore, uuconquer'd virgin,
AVherewlth she freezed iier foes to congealed
stone."

FREBZED FUTURE. 87

But among the wiHers oa English grammar we
find four— Cobbett, Emmons, Sanborn, and Goold
Brown,— who admit "freezed," and the first three
of these four grammarians prefer that form.

Fort HER "Means more in advance, and back-
wards has a directly contrary meaning. It is impos-
sible to go further and at the same time backwards,
and therefore the two words should never be used
together." y 203.

Fulsome. "Properly no more than full, and then
secondly that which by its fulness and overfulness
produces first satiety and then loathing and disgust.
This meaning is still retained in our only present
application of the word, namely to compliments and
flattery, which by their grossness produce this effect
on him who is their object." p 86. Graham derives
the word from fuli art— to make dirty; hence full of
filth, nauseous, disgusting, y 12.

Future (for siibseqnenf) Her fuf.ure life was vir-
tuous and fortunate." c 31,

a-.

Gallows. See Alms.

Garble. " Was once to sift forthepurpn.se of
selecting the best; is now to sift with a view of picli-
ing out tlie worst." pp 373.

Gent and Ptints. "Let those words go to-
gether, like the things they signify. The one always
wears the other." a 211, x G8.

Genteel. Your paragraphs on the "gent"
(and to define a gent as 'a "party" as wears
'\pants," ' seems to me singularly felicitous) suggest
a discussion upon an allied word, which has agi-
tated some of us in this city of Central New York.
It began in this way. A lady whose nature and
training have made her as likely as any one to be
acquainted with and observant of the habits of
speech in good usage here, spoke of a dress that IMiss
Emma Abbott had worn as "genteel." I, who had
not attended the concert, remarked that it was not
strange, as good taste in dress was not characteristic
of stage-singers.

"But this dress was in good taste," replied my
lady, puzzled; " I said it was genteel."

A long discussion elicited the fact that the people
of this city still regard the word as complimentary,
though I am quite sure that by the educated people

GALLOWS — GENTLEMAN. LADY. 89

df New Englancl, as well as in the best contempo-
rary literature, it is now used to indicate not what
is refined, but what seeks to be so, and is character-
ized by uaeasy consciousness of effort, far removed
from the well bred assurance of the real lady or
gentleman. Emerson says:

"The word gsniUman has not any correlative
abstract to express the quality. OentiUty is mean,
, and gentllesse is obsolete." — Prose Works, I., 478.

Gentleman, Lady (for man, woman), a 180,
c35, aa 363, 390, r 86, 100, tt 478, v 237, x 66, 110,
d 40. 33, w 259, 443. See The Guardian, No. 26.

"The Duke of Sase-Weimar was, in Alabama,
asked the question, Are you the man that wants to
go to Selma? aad upon assenting he was told, Then
I'm the gentleman that's going to drive you. Pre-
cisely the same thing occurred to Sir Charles Lyell:
' I asked the master of the inn at Corning, who was
very attentive to his guests, to find my coachman.
He immediately called out iu his barrooin. Where
is the gentkman that brought this man here?' A
few days before, a farmer in New York had styled
my wife woman, though he called his own daugh-
ters ladies, and would, I believe, have extended that
term to the maid servant.' I know of an orator
who once said at a public meeting where bonnets
predominated, ' The ladies were the last at the Cross
and the firut at the Tombl ' The vulgarity of enter-
ing a traveller's name [?] on the register of the

house aa ' Mr. and lady ' is only surpassed by

placing the same words on visiting cards. " tt 478, X.

90 VERBAL PITFALLS.

A clergyman roafling in the book of Daniel, and
feeling uncertain of llie pronunciation of Shadrach,
Mesbacb.and Abedncgo, referred to them the second
time as the same three gentlemen, i 338.

In a railroad car the scats were all full except one,
which was occupied by a pleasant looking Irishman,
and at one of the stations a couple of evidently well-
bred and intelligent young ladies came in to procure
Beats. Seeing none vacant, they were about to go
into the next car, when Patrick aro.se hastily and
offered them his seat with evident pleasure.

"But you -will have no seat for yourself," re-
sponded one of the young ladies with a smile, hesi-
tating, with true politeness, to accept it.

"Niver mind that," said the gallant Hibernian;
" I'd ride upon a cowcatcher to New York any time
for a smile from snch jintlema nli/ ladies."

And he retired into the next car amid the cheers
of his fellow passengers.

Perhaps the most important rule to observe is that
where adjectives are used the nouns must be 7naii,
woman— not a polite gentleman, a lovely lady, but a
polite man, a lovely woman.

"It is not because in the phrases lady friend, gen-
tleman friend, a noun is used for an adjective that
they are so offensive." aa 396.

Genuine. See Authentic; also ppp 305.

Get. " A man gets riches, gets a wife, gets child-
i-en, gets well ( after falling sick,) gets him to bed,

GENTLEMAN. LADY — GET. 91

gets up, gets to his journe5''s end— in brief gets any
thing that he wants and successfully strives for.
But we constantly hear educated people speaking of
getting crazy, of getting a fever, and even of getting a
flea on one. A man hastening to the train will say
that he is afraid of getting left. * * The worst
common misuse of this word, however, is to ex-
press simple possession. * * Possession is com-
pletely expressed by liave; get expresses attainment
by exertion." a 117, x 69.

"Even so able a writer as Prof. Whitney ex-
presses himself thus: 'Who ever yet got through
learning his mother tongue, and could say, "The
work is done." ' " r 343, g 23, tt 479.

"One very striking peculiarity of the English lan-
guage is the extraordinary variety of senses in which
many of our words, especially those of Saxon origin,
may be used. A curious instance of this variety
may be seen in the case of the verb to get. For ex-
ample; " After I got ( received ) your letter, I imme-
diately got ( mounted ) on horseback, and when I got
to (reached) Canterbury, I got ( procured ) a chaise
and proceeded to town. But, the rain coming on,
!.£?(?< (caught) such a severe cold that I could not
get rid of it for some days. When I got home; I got
up-stairs, and ^cHo bed immediately; but the next
morning I found I could neither get down stairs, get
my breakfast, nor get out of doors. 1 was afraid I
should never get over this attack, ' It may be reason-
ably doubted if any word of Latin or French origin

92 VERBAL PITFALLS.

lias half so many and such various significations."
y 189.

"Hardly any word in the English language is so
abused as the word got. A man says, ' I have got a
cold;' he means, '1 have a cold.' Another says,
' That lady has got a fine head of hair,' which may
be true if the hair is false, otherwise the got should
be omitted. A third says. ' I have got to leave the
city for New York this evening,' meaning only that
he has to leave the city, etc. Nine out of ten who
enter a dry goods store ask, ' Have you got ' such
an article ? A man may say correctly ' I have got
more than my neighbor has, because I have been
industrious;' but he cannot say 'I have got a
longer nose,' however long his nose may be, unless
it be an artificial one."

" When the object has been to visit a friend or to
attain a certain point, we sometimes hear the excuse
for failure thus expressed. 'I meant to come to
you, but I cov.ldn'i geV The verb get is used in so
many meanings that it is hardly fit for this elliptical
position." i 110.

Gifted. See Talented.

Glass of Watek (for some water.) d 133.

Girl (for davghier). A father, on being request-
ed by a rich and vulgar fellow for permission to
marry "one of his girls," gave this rather crushing
reply: "Certainly. Which one would 3'ou prefer —
the waitress or the cook? "

GET — GIRLED UP. 93

Girled np. The Springfield RepvUican sug-
gests a new colloquial expression for the next edi-
tion of Webster's dictionary. It was invented by an
anxious father on the occasion of an interview with
the principal of one of the Hampden county acade-
mies, where the co-education of boys and girls still
prevails. The boy in the case had formerly been
studious and promising, but for several months past
had gradually fallen off from his previous standard,
growing so careless and unscholarly that it became
a serious question whether he would be able to pass
his college entrance examination. It was a coinci-
dence that he had meanwhile become conspicuous
as a ladies' man. The principal having alluded to
this as a prominent cause of the boy's demoraliza-
tion, "Yes," broke in the father, "I know it; he's
got ?t\\ girled up." Which the Republiean thinks is
a remarkably happy and pregnant phrase. If there
is anything that plays the mischief with the girls
and boys during that budding, downy and velvety
period of their teens, when they ought to be laying
solid and permanent educaticual foundations, it is
this premature efflorescence of the sexual period,
which moves boys and girls, who ought to be kept
down to study, to perk and prim and sidle, and
play with each other's eyes, and write silly and
badly-spelled notes to each other, and eat slate-
pencils in private. But then, it rarely lasts long; it
is less harmful than tobacco or whiskey, and there
is no law "agin " youths of that age making fools
of themselves. — Springfield Repuhllcan.

94 "VERBAL PITFALLS.

Go. For many slang phrases, see It 684.

GO PAST (for go by.) r 361. Allowed by Wb.

Golden, "brazen, leaden, leathern, whcaten, oaten,
and waxen are all in more or less advanced stages of
departure. They all appear in poetry, but are not
often used for the every day needs of life, except in
figurative poetry. Most people would say ' a gold
candlestick, a brass faucet, a ^miZpipe, and so forth,
but a golden harvest, a brazen face, a leaden sky, * *
Golden, meaning made of gold, and, of course, like
gold, now is generally used to mean the latter only;
and for the former sense the nonn gold is used as an
adjective. This is to be deplored." a 259, y 209.

Good looking. " To speak of a welllooldng man
would be ridiculous: all usage is against the word."
il06.

Go CART, a 232.

Goodiiess's (for goodness'). For goodnesses sake,
i 26.

Goods (for material), a 144, tt 302, x 69.

Goose. What is the plural of a tailor's goose? We
all know the story of the tailor who first wrote:
"Please send me two tailor's geese." That did not
seem right, so he took another sheet, and began,
"Please send me two tailor's gooses." That was
still worse, so he began again thus: "Please send
me a tailor's goose; in fact, while you are about it,
you may as well at the same timesend another one."

Got (for gotten, as participle), a 118, tt 479. But
see vv 65. Gotten, obsolescent.

GO — GRADUATED. 95

Governmental. "Long condemned by English
authorities as a barbarism." tt 252. "A modern
word now much used both in England aud America,
though the use of it has been censured." W.

Graduated (for was graduated), x 71, X, d 112.
" 'After graduating ' is erroneous; though it is true
somebody has used that phrase who should not have
used it, and thus given it the stamp of literary car-
rency. It should be 'after graduaC/o«.' Themis-
take arises out of the common form of expressiou,
'He graduated.' A moment's reflection will demon-
strate, as we think, the absurdity, certainly the
awkwardness and incongruity of that phrase. The
fact is that the honor of graduation is received. A
student cannot graduate himself. He may deserve
and win, in a sense he may take graduation; that is
the sense in which it is said he graduaiefi; but a
slight analysis, further, shows that he can ' gradu-
ate,' or be graduated, only as graduation is con-
ferred upon him by the college ; and thus we come
back to the truth that he is a recipient; he {^grad-
uated. The verb is passive in its construction, We
do not deny that the other form has obtained some
respectable currency, but it cannot be defended.

' ' Let us see. If it be said that a man ' graduates'
— graduates himself, in a way, he having taken his
part in the graduation— we should say of a boy who
has received conflrmation, 'He confirmed'! 'I
confirmed'' (!) a year ago,' would be quite as good as
'I graduated a year ago.' Or instead of saying,

9t> VERBAL PITFALLS.

Ke was educated at Hobart, we should say, he edu-
cated (!) there. And so of other phrases: He dead,
and he hurled! But at the beginning he horn! These
are no more ridiculous than he graduated," — Geneva
Courier,

Grandiose, v 289.

Grant (for wuchsafe to hear us), tt 240.

Grammatical error. The phrase defended, x
71.

Graphic "means 'picturesque' and cannot
rightly be used in speaking of sounds and accents,
as, ' She suddenly heard a loud report as of some
heavy body falling (5'ra^/tica% termed " a banging
scrash.")'"— M//tie Collins. c31.

Grass-widows. "In the United States, wives
separated from their husbands for a time only, and
without incurring the slightest reproach." tt 481.
Vulgar. W.

Gratefulness, s 183. But see v 172.

Gratuitous (for unfounded, tmwarranted). a 124.
But see vv 79, x 72.

Great-big- (for large), tt 442, 482.

Grocery. " In the English of England, does not
mean grocer's shop." vv 87.

Ground {ior floor), d 134.

Grow {for hecome). "But what is large can not
be reasonably said to grow smaller; e. g., after the
full, the nioon 'grows smaller.' It lessens, diminislies

GRANDIOSE — GUMS. Ml

— the opposite of growth. And in general, even a
change of condition is more accurately expressed by
become than by groio." a 125, x 73. But see vv 83.

Gruesonie. "Used by Browning." pp213.

Guage preferable to gauge, z, aa 08.

GUBERNATORIAL, a 211, tt 253. "A word
sometimes used in the United States."

Guess. " The only difference between the Eng-
lish and the American use of the word is. probably,
that the former denotes a fair, candid guess, while
the Yankee who guesses is apt to be quite sure of
what he professes to doubt." tt 483, y 179. " De-
notes to attempt to hit upon at random. It is a
gross vulgarism to use the word guess, not in its
true and specific sense, but simply for tliink or sup-
pose." Wb.

Gu\nii {U)\- overshoes), "Emily is outside clean-
ing her gums upon the mat." a 5.

II — " A student at one of our military academies
bad copied a drawing of a scene in Venice, and in
copying the title had spelled the name of the city
Vennice. The drawing-master put his pen through
the superfluous letter, observing, ' Don't you know,
sir, there is but one hen in Venice? ' On which the
youth burst out laughing. Being asked what he
was laughing about, he replied he was thinking how
uncommonly scarce eggs must be there." 149.

Habilitated (for dressed), s 188.

Had BETTER. "Had ratJier will probably yield
to would rather, and hud better to might better.'" a
418, aa 437, r 347, i 95, x 73. " It is a matter of
astonishment that that excellent book of reference
[Wb.] should repeat the cheap explanation of the
ordinary school grammars; viz., that had rather is a
blunder for would rather. The Journal could
hardly find place for an adequate discussion of the
question, but it may not be amiss to indicate where
such discussions can be found. See, e. g., Mdtzver's
English Grammar, Vol III., pages 7 and 8, where
the author remarks: 'This idea that had is cor-
rupted from iDoidd needs no refutation.' There is a
good paper on the same subject in ScJiermerhorn's
Monthly for December, 1876, page 539. The most

HABILITATED — HARDLY. 99

■borough historic handling of the phrase, however,
fvill be found in the American Journal of Philology
for October. 1881, pages 281 to 322."— Mw England
Jourruil of Education.

Had better been (for had better have been).
" The personification from line 303 to 309, in the heat
of the battle, hadbetterbeenomiited."— Charles Lamb
(to Coleridge.)

Had have, a 347, x 63. See Nowadays.

Had ought (for ougJit). aa 427, tt 608, x 73.

Had rather. See Had better.

Half {for partly). " 'In his ranting way, half- bes-
tial, half-inspired, half-idiotic, Coleridge began to
console me.'— Hoyden. Here are three halves! as
in the Irish translation of ' Gallia omnis,' ' All Gaul
is quartered into three halves.'" c 23. "A half is
bettor than o?ie half." x 73.

Hand book for manual). "An unnecessary inno-
vation." y 48.

Handkerchief. " Kerchief thus meaning origin-
ally a cloth to cover the head, it is well enough to
call a similar cloth for the neck a neck kerchief, and
one for use in the hand a hand kerchief; but pocket-
handkerchief iii\(\ neck-handkerchief are the abomina-
tion of superfluity and the effervescence of haber-
dashery." aa 426, tt 484, y 143, v 157.

Hands (for laborers), ppp 120.

Hardly. See Scarcely.

100 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Happen on (for 7neet with). Not an A.mericanism.
V 190.
Happify. tt 239, w 315,

Habdwood. "Comprises all woods of solid tex-
ture which decay speedily; elm, oak, ash, beech, bass-
wood, and sugar- maple." tt485.

Have (perfect infinitive for present). "Might
have been expected to have at least gone " (at least to
go.)— Froude. a 49, aa 271. "Leslie was going to
have spoken." — Mallock. aa 478. "Incases of this
sort, where the relations of time are clearly
expressed by the first auxiliary, it is evident that
nothing is gained by employing a second auxiliary
to fix more precisely the category of the infinitive;
but when the simple inflected past tense precedes
the infinitive, there is sometimes ground for the
employment of an auxiliary with the latter. 1
intended to go, and / intended to have gone, do not
necessarily express the same thing, but the latter
form is not likely to resist the present inclination to
make the infinitive strictly aoristic, and such forms
as I had intended to go will supersede the past tense
of the latter mode." w 317.

Head-over-Hcels (for heels over-head).

Healthy (for healthful), x 74. Legitimate, vv 70.
"Inquirer— Are plants in a sleeping-room unhealthy?
Not necessarily. We've seen some very healthy
plants growing in sleeping-rooms." — Boston Post.

Hearty (of a meal), d 75.

HAPPEN ON — HOAX, 101

Held (for lioled, in English billiards), s 74.

Help. " ' I gave no more than I could help ' is a
type of an almost universal blunder; how universal
■will be felt at once from the awkward, un-English
sound of ' I gave no more than I couUl not help.' Yet
the latter is undoubtedly correct." c 123.

HELP (for servant), tt 487. Local. W. U. S.
Wb.

Help (for avoid). "There is no better English
than ' I cant help it.' " a 125.

Help on (for help along). "Help on the great
battle is ludicrously halt." — N. C. Advocate.

Helpmeet (for help meet), a 126, x 74. Hall

pronounces helpmate classical, but says helpmeet is
not to be defended, v 156.

Hence (for thence). " If a picture of the chateau
as it was to be a few years hence had been shown
him." — Dickens, c 30.

Hire (for rent, of a house), tt 491.

Hither (for here). See Whither.

Hiccup preferable to hiccough, z, aa 68. W. and
Wb. prefer hiccough.

Hight. " English has one passive verb, the only
one known to me, which is now rarely used. — higltt.
This word needs no ' auxiliary,' and has no partici-
ple: it means is called." aa 319. Obsolete. W.,Wb.

Himself (for he). See Myself.

Hoax. Condemned by Swift as low and vulgar.
Y 177.

102 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Hollow. " A verb already in England, from of
old written in various ways, occurs in America in
like manner under the different forms of hollow, hal-
loo, and most commonly as holler." tt 489, €09.

Homely. "In England used for home like, here
serves mainly to express a want of comeliness." tt
490, r 294.

Honorable John Jones (for th£ Honorable John
Jone-s). "The article is absolutely required, a 153,
tt 258, 490, X 170, X. " The omission of the defin-
ite article before the words 'honourable,' and 'rev-
erend,' when one speaks of persons entitled to those
epithets, has become very common of late; but the
author of this book is not aware of anybody's having
assigned a reason for the omission. Its propriety
may be tried by the process of illustration. Admit,
for the sake of argument, that adjectives do not
when so used, require the article, or any prefixe(
word ; and then see how its omission affects thi ;
paragraph :

" ' At last annual meeting of Blank Book Society •,
honourable John Smith took the chair, assisted by
reverend John Brown and venerable John White.
The office of secretary would have been filled by
late John Green, but for his decease, which ren-
dered him ineligible. His place was supplied by
inevitable John Black. In the course of the even
ing eulogiums were pronounced on distinguished
John Gray and notorious Joseph Brown. Marked
compliment was also paid to able historian Joseph

nOLLOW HUMBUG. 103

White, discriminating plnlo«opber Joseph Green,
and learned professor Joseph Bhxck. But conspicu-
ous speech of the evening was witty Joseph Gray's
apostrophy to eminent astronomer Jacob Brown,
subtle logician Jacob White, and sound mathema-
tician Jacob Green. His reference to learned Jacob
Black was a brilliant hit. Profound metaphysi-
cian Jacob Gray was not forgotten, and indefatiga-
ble traveller Peter Brown was remembered by a
good anecdote. Clever artist Peter Gray was, in
fact, only celebrity omitted.' " dG6.

How (for that). "Have heard /toio some critics
were pacified with a supper." r 353, x 78.

How? "The imperious way of the New Eng.
lander to ask for a repetition of what he has failed
to understand." it 610.

Humanitariau {ior humane). "It is a theo-
logical word; and its original meaning is, One who
denies the godhead of Jesus Christ, and insists upon
his humane nature." a 137. But Hall defends the
word, saying, 'A humane action, if the result of
principle, is the result of humanitarian principle."
v3I6, x79.

Humble. "We still sometimes, even in good
society, hear 'ospital, 'erb, and 'wmWe,— all of them
very offensive, but the last of them by far the worst "
i 43, d 131.

Humbug. X. "There is a word in our own tongue
which, as DeQuincy observes, cannot be rendered
adequately either by German or Greek, the two

104 vekbal' pitfalls.

richest of human languages, and witliout which we
should all be disarmed for one great case, continu-
ally recurrent, of social enormity. It is the word
humbug. ' A vast mass of villany that cannot other-
wise be reached by legal penalties, or brought with-
in the rhetoric of scorn, would go at large with
absolute impunity, were it not through the stern
Rhadamanthian aid of this virtuous and inexorable
word.' " r 71, 806, tt 492, y 177.

Hung (for hanged). Suspension by the neck to
destroy life is indicated by hanged rather than hung.
X 73. "Hanged is to be preferred, yet hu7ig is often
used in this sense." W.

Hurry (for hasten). Hurry implies confusion,
flurry, while haste implies only rapidity, x 79. It is
hurry that makes worry, rather than haste that
necessarily makes waste.

" Richardson calls hurry a female word, and per-
haps women do make use of it oftener than men;
they consider it as a synonymn to agitation, and say
they have a hurry of spirits." Vol. I. 294.

Hydropathy, a 212.

Hymen ial (for hymeneal^.

Z-

I'd (for rid, contraction of 1 would), aa 420.

Ice Cream, Ice Water (for iced-cream, iced-water).
" Ice-water might be warm, as snow-water often is.
Ice cream is unknown." a 128. x 80.

Idea {for notion, opinion). "Perhaps the worst-
treated word in the English language." pp 271, v
105.

Identical (for self-same), aa 498.

Ideutified. "To say that a man is identified
with a cause or a business is of itself a coarse strain-
ing of metaphor; but to say that he is jn-ominently
identified with it is past the extreme limits of tolera-
ble license." aa 417.

Identity (for identification). "Identity means
'sameness'; identification, making or proving the
same." c 61 .

If (for -whether). Defended, i 233.

(omitted). "The lady asked him was he

<;ome to finish the bust." — Rende. a 52.

Ilk. "A much abused word, bemg constantly
substituted for stamp, class, society. ]\Ien of that
ilk." tt 493.

106 VERBAL PITFALLS.

III. " For the use of ill — an adverb — as an adjec-
tive, thus, au ill mtiu, there is no defence and no-
excuse, except the contamination of bad example."
a 197 But see a 109, "an adjective, as good or ill."
vv 74. 83. 100. "Bad, ill, or infirm health," W. 107.

"Almost all British speakers and writers limit
the meaning of sick to the expression of qualmish-
ness, sickness at the stomach, nausea, and lay the
proper burden of the adjective sick upon the adverb
ill." a 196, X 176. "It is curious to notice how
sickness of the stomach changed in England first
into nausea, which soon became vulgar and gave
way to ihrowiiiff vj); this also fell in [into] disfavor,
and i)07nit was substituted, as it is used iu the Bible;
in its turn this gave way to jmking, when the great
king, with knee-buckles, silk stockings, and gilt-
headed cane, also gave ;>w/i^.'( to high bred matrons
and fastidious belles, some fifty years ago. This
also was soon banished; but as people might get rid
of the word, but could not free themselves from the
thing, they turned once more to their first love, and
sickness was restored to favor." tt 543. In sense of
immoral, see tt 493, v 234.

Illy. "Mr. Lowell has said that the objection
to illy is not an etymological objection, but that it
is inconsistent with good usage. Illy is not so vio-
lently at variance with etymology as some persons
seem to think that it is." a 399. " There is no such
word as illy in the language, and it is very silly to
use it." r343, tt 493, x 80. "People who use i%

ILL IMPKOVE. 107

ought to know that tcelly is equally good English."
d 26. "A word sometimes used, though improp-
erly, for ill" W.

Imbroglio (for quarrel), r 102. "A compli-
cated and embarrassing state of things." Wb.
Immaterial (for tcorthless). y 39.

Ininiediately (for as soon as). "Yet, ludi-
crously enough, imvudiately the fashionable mag-
nates of England seize on any French idiom, the
French themselves not only universally abandon it
to us, but positively repudiate it altogether from
their idiomatic vocabularj*." — Rotten, c 65, tt 493.

Immer.secl (for amerced). ' Immersed in a heavy
fine." i 39.

IMMINENT (for dangerous), c 31. Allowed by
Wb.

Immodesty (for indecency). " Indecency may be a -
partial, immodesty is a positive and entire breach of
the moral law. Indecency is less than immodesty,
but more than indelicacy." — Crahbe. x 81.

Implicit (for a6so??/7(?, unbounded). "An implicit
faith." — C. Kingsley. Questioned by DeQuincey,
but defended by Hall, vv 12.

Improve. " 'An old perversion of the word in
New England, when applied to persons.' — Benj.
Franklin. 1789. Now the word is applied in the
same way when speaking of things, lands, or men."
tt 493. Should not be applied to defects or wants.,
y 205.

108 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Improvement, tt 240.

Impute (for ascribe.) x 81.

In- "Is tbe regular negative prefix of substan-
tives and adjectives of Latin origin, but not of verbs.
Thus we have rwvariable, mfrequeut, but-wftdiscrim-
inating, (/(^creditable. Exceptions, unahle, uncom-
fortable, w?2certaiu, mmortalize, ^7Jdispose, j'wcapac-
itate. But avoid Cowper's w?;frequent, wjipolite,
MMtractable." c 33.

"The prefixes vn and in are equivocal. Com-
monl}' they have a negative force, as «?mecessary,
wicomplete. But sometimes, both in verbs and
adjectives, they have a positive or intensive mean-
ing, as in the words intenso, wifatuated, inva\uah\e.
To mvigorate one's physical system by exercise is
not to lessen but to increase one's energy. The verb
unloose should by analogy mean 'to tie,' just as
untie means ' to loose.' //^habitable should signify
not habitable, according to the most frequent sense
of in." r324, y73. See Unravel.

IN (for into, after verbs of motion). aa412, tt 493.
In is often used for i/ito, and without the noun to
which it properly belongs; as, come in. that is i7ito
the house or other place." Wb.

IN OUR MIDST. "Some persons are unwilling
to be convinced aljout ' in this connection ' and ' in
our midst.' ' To me,' writes one, ' there is no gram-
matical difference between "in their midst" and "in
the midst of them," both being absolutely correct.
This is a mistake. 'In the midst of them is abso-

IMPROVEMENT IN SO FAR AS. 109

lutely correct; ' in their midst' is absolutely incor-
rect. 'Yet,' writes another, ' these phrases are gram-
matically correct, exceedingly useful, and highly
idiomatic' This gentleman is also mistaken in every
respect. The phrases are neither correct nor useful,
and they are directly the reverse of idiomatic. Idio-
matic phrases are old phrases grovping out of the
very roots of the language, sometimes apparently
incorrect, yet always correct when profoundly ex-
amined in the light of philology and history.
Phrases that are truly idiomatic are always beauti-
ful and congenial to all the rest of the language;
but phrases like 'in our midst' are not only the
opposite of idiomatic, but tliey liave no congruity
with the genius of the language, and are the mere
inventions and clumsy devices of modern ignorance
and presumption.' — iV. Y. Sun. See Midst. X.

In despite op (for despite), x 43.

In REGARD TO) / With ve^ava to X . . ^^^^^

In respect of ) \ J^^^ V respect to. J
Alford roundly asserts that in respect of ' is certainly
as much used l)y good modern writers as' icith re-
spect to (i 195). The Dean, if he had a serviceable
memory, could have given no more satisfactory
proof than he thus gives of the straitened limits of
his literary associations. It is noticeable also that
he appears to be acquainted with only one sense
borne by the expression, namely, that of as to." v
84, w 661, X 82.

In so far as (for so far as), x 82, d 71.

110 VERBAL PITFALLS.

In that (for in this respect that). Differed only in
that it was blue, d 70.

Inaptitude "and iveptitnde liave been usefully
despecificated. and only the latter now imports
Jolly." V 805.

INAUGURATE (for beyin, open, net up, establish).
"To inaugurate is to receive or induct into office
with solemn ceremonies.' a 128, X, x 82 r 101.
But Hall has: "The era of galvanized sesquipedal-
ism and sonorous cadences, inaugurated by John-
son." V 148.

Independent. "Applied to lifeless objects, as
' B.n independentiorinne,' IS unwarrantable." tt 494.

Index. "We should say indexes and memordn-
dums, uoi indices and memoranda." aa21, 415, 449,
T 359. But see x 120.

Indorse (for ajjprove, xiphoid), a 129, x 85, X.

Indifferent. "A thing which does not differ
from others is thereby qualified nspwr; a sentence
of depreciation is passed upon it when it is declared
to be indiff'erent. But this use of words is modern.
Jvdiff'crtit was impartial once, not vuil.ing differ-
ences where none really were." p 108. Cf. "Good,
bad, indiff'erent.'" "A magistrate who 'indifferently
administered justice ' meant formerly a magistrate
-who administered justice impartially." r 221.

Individuals [tor persons) . " Only when these are
viewed as atoms or units of a whole." c 33, i 246,
.aa 389, r 97, vv 18, x 85. " We, \i?,mg individual as

INffHAT INITIATE. Ill

person, have ia fact recurred to the earlier mean-
ing." p 108.

"Cunau had a simihxr ludicrous adventure with
a lishwomau at Cork. Taking up the gauntlet
when assailed by her'on the quay, he speedily found
that he was over-matched, and that he had nothing
to do but to beat a retreat. ' This, however, was to
be done with dignity; so, drawing myself up dis-
dainfully, I said, " Madame, I scorn all further dis-
course with such an indmdunl." She did not under-
stand the word, and thought it. no doubt, the very
hyperbole of opprobrium. " Individual, you vaga-
bond! " she screamed, " what do you mean by that?
I'm no more an indiridual tuan your mother was! "
Never was victory more complete The whole sis-
terhood (lid homage to me, and I left the quay of
Cork covered with glory.' " r 279.

lufalliblc (for inevitable), c 34.
Inferior (tor of small abilities). An inferior
man. r 349, i 108.

INFINITIVE (for participle). " Spoke distinctly
to have seen.- —Fronde, a 51. Generally preferable
■to participle, when correct, x 85.

(the to should not be separated from the verb

•by adverb), r363.il 88.

Ingenious ) "The first indicates mental, the
Ingenuous J second, moral, qualities." p 110, aa

396.
Initiate (for begin), a 128, x 85.

112 VERBAL riTFALLS.

Inimical. "Not very popular, in spite of its four
syllables." y 54, v 287.

Inmates (for houseJiold). a 129.

Innate (for inbred). "Innate depravity due to-
early training" {\)—Griffii/ts. c 34.

Innumerable number, r 361, s 104, x 85.

Inst, (for this month), a 169.

Instable (for uriHtable). d 30.

INSTITUTE. "Had once in English meaning
co-extensive with that of the Latin word it repre-
sents We now inform, instruct, but we do not
institute children any uK^re. " p 112. "Obsolete."
Wl).

Institution. " Whatever is looked upon as a
permanent and essential part of any system is apt to
be so designated by careless writers." tt 279

Interference (for interposition), ppp 301.

luterpellatioii (for question), r 102.

Interi>rete<l (for rtcto?, played, sung.) aa 493.

Interview (as a verb). " Just so it is with oya-
tered and interviewed. Those who like them [here
R. G. W. is painfully sarcastic] may use them with-
out the slightest fear that the}' are violating any rule
or analogy of the English language. " aa 309, tt 494.

Into (for in) " To keep stragglers into line."—
Fronde, a 49. " Allowed 2«Yo society." — .1. Trol-
lope. " Yet here the fault is in the unhappy use of
allow." aa 412.

INIMICA^ INYKTEKATi!;. 113^

Intoxicated (for drunk). "A mau can be intox-
icated only when be has lost his wits not by quan-
tity, but by quality,— Ijy drinking liquor that has
been drugged." r 103, y 104.

Introduce. "We introduce the younger to the
older, the person of low position to the person of
higher, the gentleman to the lady. * * Yet some
ladies will speak of being introduced to such and
such a gentleman." a 147, v 145.

Intrinsecate. a 221. Obsolete. Wb.

Invent (for discover), ppp 310.

Intekse. " ' He must not be rash indeed; for the
inverse of Lord Eldon's maxim will ever be found
true, that that is never done which is done in a
hurry.' What does this mean?— apparently that
that is always well done which is done iu a hurry ;^
not. as the author intends,- that that is always well
done which is done slowly." c 17.

Inversely to {ior inversely as), i 195.

INVEST (without an object). He invests in a
book, aa 490.

Inveterate. " Why should our hate, animos-
ity, hostility, and other bad passions be inveterate
(that is, gain strength by age), but our better feel-
ings, love, kindness, charity, never? Byron showed
a true appreciation of the better uses to which the
word might be put when he subscribed a letter to a
friend. ' Yours inveterately, Byron.'" r 335, y 75,
v35.

114: VERBAL PITFALLS.

Invite (for invitation), d 78.

INWARDS. "Nowadays a man who used, ia
geueral society, the simple English word [guts] for
which some New England ' females ' elegantly sub-
stitute in'ards, would shock most of his hearers." a
387, tt 493.

Is (for are). "Their general scope and tendency
is not remembered at idl." — LimVey Marmy . r 362.
For many illustrations see y 61.

Is BEING BUILT. See Being. X.

-IsE. " How are we to decide between « and z in
such words as annt/iemati^e. cauterize, criticise, deo-
dorize, dogmatize, fraternize ViuA the rest? Many of
these verbs are derived from Greek verbs ending in
-izo; but more from French verbs ending in -iser.
It does not seem easy to come to a decision. Usage
varies, but has not pronounced positively in any
case. It seeems more natural to write anathematize,
and cauterize with a z, but criticise is commonly
written with an s I remem'oer hearing the late Dr.
Donaldson give his opinion that they ought all to be
■written with s. But in the present state of our Eng
lish usage the question seems an open one." i 39,
V 297, vv 54. "The leaning here is decidely toward
ise." y 115.

-1st. " Perhaps the worst of all these malforma-
tions is the class of new nouns made promiscuously
from French and Latin, German and Saxon words,
by the simple addition of the termination i'it."
Fruitist, landscapist, obituarist, woman suffragist,

INVITK ITS. 1L5

vineyardist, wjilkist, shootist, singist, stabbist, strik-
ist, are noted, tl 657.

Fitzedward Hall writes of Addison, "The latter,
while notably distinguished as a stylist," v 9, 27,
and defends the form, vv 54, 57, 59.

Issue. " In legal phraseology, the close or result
of pleadings, by which a single material point of
law or fact depending on the suit is presented for
determination. When in a trial one of the parlies
demurs to a statement, he is said to 'take issue.' The
defendant may be bound to admit the demurrer so
far as to admit his right of inquiry, and then he is
said to ' join issue. ' Thus to ' take issxie ' means ' to
deny,' and to \join issue ' means ' to admit the right
of denial,' but by no means to "agree in the truth of
the denial,' and to use 'Join issu€' simply for 'agree'
is an unwarrantable perversion of a legal meta-
phor." c35.

(for number, of a periodical), d 94.

It. a word to be avoided, x 107.

It. "Added as an expletive to verbs is declared
by Mr. Abbott to be "now only found in slang
phrases.' That may be so in England; in the United
States nothing is more common than this addition,
and General Grant's phrase, • I propose to fight it
out on this line,' has rendered it historical." tt 494.

For it is these, etc. , see v 40.

Itkm (for piece of news) tt 494; (fov particle, extract,
■er paragraph), X.

Its. v IJ59.

Jail. Preferable to gaol, z, aa. 68.

Jealous. "In its general sense means zealous.*''
s53.

Jeopardize, a 214, r 357, d 11, x 109, X Defended,
vv 55. "This is a moderu word much used in the
United States, and it is also used by various respect-
able English writers." \V.

Jews. " The Jews are a peculiar people, who, in
virtue of that strongly marked and exclusive nation-
ality which the}^ so religiously cherished, have out-
lived the Pharaohs who oppressed them, and who
seem likely to outlive the Pyramids on which they
labored. And when they are mentioned as Jews,
no allusion is meant or made to their religion, but to
their race. * * A Jew is a Jew, whether he holds
to the faitli of his fathers, or leaves it for that of
Christ or of Mohammed." a 131, aa 380, tt 495.

" Some time ago the publishers of Webster's Dic-
tionary permitted themselves to be persuaded by
Mr. Solomons, a very respectable Hebrew book-
seller in Washington, to tamper with the text of
their great work by striking out one of the detini-
tions given to the word ' Jew,' explaining an oppro-
brious sense in which that word has been used for
centuries in English literature. Next came a request
in tile interest of Catholics to cancel the opprobrious-

JAIL JEWELRY. 117

■sense in which the word ' Jesuitical ' has been used
nearly as long. By this time the publishers seem to
■have got their eyes opened. The business of a
maker of definitions in dictionaries is not to save
people's feelings, but to tell what words mean, and
in what senses they are used in literature and life.
It is not their fault that it has become an English
idiom to speak of ' jewiug' down a tradesman, or
that the word "Jesuitical ' has become nearly a s^'n-
onym for hypocrisy. These are the facts, and it is
their business to record them. When they quit do-
ing it. they quit publishing an honest dictionary, and
the people who want one must go elsewhere. We
think there are very lew intelligent Hebrews or
intelligent Catholics who can give a moment's con-
sideration to the subject without coming to precisely
the same conclusion. When a Hebrew reads in
some standard author of 'Jesuitical' devices, he
wants the dictionar}' to tejl him exactly what is
meant. When a Roman CathoJ'^ reads in Dickens
or Thackeray or Fielding about "jewing' down a
shop-keeper, he wants his dictionary to tell him
what that means." — iV. Y. Tribune.

Jewelry (for particular j^'cwefe). " Its u.se in the
latter sense is of very low caste. Think of Cornelia
pointing to the Gracchi and saying, ' Tlie.se are my
jewelry,'' or read thus a grand passage in the last of
the Hebrew prophets: 'And they shall be miue,
saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make
Ml^ my jewelry ' '" a 131. But see vv 85.

118 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Journal (applied to weekly newspapers, etc), d
93, ppp 195.

Jubilant (for rejoicing). X.

Just going to (for just about to), x 110.

Just next (for next). " Is not ' next' sufficiently
definite? This is a single example out of scores-
noticed every day showing the endeavors of news-
paper writers to strengthen what they say." — N. C
Advocate.

Just now (for presently) i 210. "Very re-
cently." AV's definition.

Justify (for defend), d 85.

Juvenile. See Divine, aa 107, X.

Juxtapose. "No man needs the authority of
a dictionary or of previous usage for such a word
^s. juxtapose." a 258, v 334 " We should regularly
getjuxtaposit." vv 75. JuxtaposU is the form give©

by W. and Wb.

A J

H^ids {(OT kid glares), x 110. Colloquial. Wb.

Kind. 'A grosser, or at least more obvious blun-
der is that of making this and that plural before the
singular nouns kind and soi-l, as in — ' You have
been so used to these [this] sort of impertinences.' —
Sid. Smith." c 156, a 168. Defended by Alford,
thus. " We are speaking of things in the plural.
Our pronoun ifiis reallj' has reference to kind, not to
things: but the fact of things being plural gives a
plural complexion to the whole, and we are tempted
to put this into the plural. That this is the account
to be given appears still more plainly from the fact
that not unfrequently we find a rival attraction pre-
vails and the clause takes a singular complexion,
from the other substantive, kind. We often hear
people say, this kind of thing, that sort of thing. It
must be confessed that the phrases, this kind of
things, that sort of things, have a very awkward
sound; and we find that our best writers have the
popular expression, these kind, tliose sort." i 77. But
in a later note the Dean says: " There seems every
reason to believe that kind and sort have been re-
garded by our best writers as nouns of number, and
as such joined with the pronoun in the plural." i
284.

120 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Kinsman (preferable to relative, rehttion. connec-
tion). "In losing kinsman we lose also his frank,
sweet-lipped sister, kinswoman, and are obliged to
give her place to that poor, mealy-mouthed, ill-
madeup Latin interloper, female relation.'" r 134,
It 456.

Knights Templar (for Knights Templars)

Knowing (for skilful), v 269.

Lady. See Gentleman.

Last (for latest). X.

Last (for ^aWer, of two.) "First is unavoidably-
used of that one in a series witli which we begin,
whatever be the number which follow; whether
many or few. Why should not last be used of that
one in a series with which we end, whatever
be the number which preceded, whether many or
few? The second invasion, when we spoke of only-
two, was undoubtedly the last mentioned; and
surely therefore may be spoken of in referring back
to it as the last, without any violation of the laws of
thought. Nor does the comparative of necessity-
suggest that only two are concerned, though it may
be more natural to speak of the greatest of more
than two, not of the greater. For that which is
greatest of any number is greater than the rest."
108. But see s 104, 105.

Lawyer. "In America the uniform name of the
person who in England is called a solicitor, if attend-
ing to our legal business, and a barrister if appear
ing for us at court — the distinction not being
observed in this country." tt 498.

122 vp:rbal pitfalls.

Lay (for lie). " Evea Byron uses lay incorrectly
in 'Childe Harold':

And dashest him again to earth— there let him lay.

"The keeping in mind the distinction that lay
expresses transitive action, and lie rest, as is shown
in the following examples, will prevent all confusion
of the two.

" I lay myself upon the bed (action). I lie upon
the bed (rest).

" I laid myself upon the bed (action). I lay upon
the bed (rest).

" I have laid myself upon the bed (action). I have
lain upon the bed (rest).

"A hen lays her eggs (action). A ship lies at
wharf (rest). The murdered Lincoln lay in state
(rest); the people laid the crime upon the rebels
(action)." a 135, x 113. tt 498, s 97, c 36, r 345, i 20,
0:27.

" Some years ago an old lady consulted an eccen-
tric Boston physician, and, in describing her disease,
said, 'The truth, Doctor, is that I cau neither lay
nor set.' ' Then, Madame,' was the reply, ' I would
respectfully suggest the propriety of roosting.'" r
345. But the rude physician was half as ignorant
as his patient. Hens sit.

Learn (for <mc7i). x 114, g 28. " This use of
lea7-}i is found in respectable writers, but it is now
deemed improper, as well as inelegant." Wb.

LAY LECTURE. 123

JLeave (without an object). " To wind up a story
with, ' Then he left,' is as bad as to say, then he
sloped— worse, for sloped is recognized slang." a
134, r 354, tt 499. d 128. " Of the correctness of the
usage I imagine there can be no doubt." i 110, xll4-

" From the Evening Post, Oct. 28, 1882.

" 'Two weeks' wages are now due, and it i3
expected that many will leave to-night, although
some will remain.'

"'The importers' clerk, it is said, replied that
" there was something crooked," and immediately
left.'

" 'The Surrogate and counsel and other persons
compelled to remain have invariably, after breathing
the foul air all day, left feeling sick.'

"Such a persistent misuse of the verb to leave
would better become a journal of lower pretensions.
In regard to the first two quotations, one might ask
what the parties referred to left or would leave. As
to the last, the Surrogate and others did well to
leave feeling sick, because they then, of course, felt
well."— iV: T. Sun.

"'Annie Louise Gary will leave the stage.'
Thanks, Annie, we were afraid you would take the
stage with you. So kind to leave it." — Cincinnati
Saturday Night.

(for let). Leave me ie. x 114.

Lectuke. " It is very common to hear a clergy
man spoken of as preaching a sermon in the morn-
iag, and giving a lecture in the afternoon: by which

124 VERBAL PITFALLS.

the speaker means that the morning discourse is
read from manuscript, and the afternoon one deliv-
ered extempore, or from notes. The exact meaning
of lecture implies, however, the act of reading,
while that of sermon signifies an harrangue. The
only origin of such a singular interchange of mean-
ings that occurs to me is this: that the leciu7'e reaehed
its present sense from being the designation of some
sort of religious meeting, for the purpose principally
of reading the Scriptures, and that the simple expo-
sition of the portion read being naturally far more
familiar and unconstrained in style than the ordi-
nary sermon preached from a single verse, caused
the name given to the whole proceedings of such a
meeting to be applied to the expository part of it
alone." s 48.

Leniency (for lenity), r 357, X, d 15, x 114.

Lengthened (for long), c 37, a 419, aa 418, tt
239, X 114, X. "This daring interloper has made
good its way in the language. Expressive of a new
meaning, the wOrd must be accepted." — Blackicood's,
Oct., 1867. So Lowell, Biglow Papers, II., Pref.
y 56, V 56.

Less (for fewer). Less than fifty, r 345, aa 420,
X 114. " 'It is a well-settled rule among good writ-
ers that few, fewer, fewest, shall be used in describing
objects the aggregate of which is expressed in num-
bers, while little, less, and least, are applied to
objects which are spoken of in bulk.' That ' well-
settled rule may be a well- settled rule, yet a few

LENIENCY LET. 125

simple illustrations may help to «7i-settle it. ' I gave
fewer than a hundred dollars for that picture.' ' My
son John is feicer than six feet high.' ' Moses was
fewer than a hundred and fifty years old.' 'The
water wheel is -no fewer than sixty feet in diameter.'
No doubt /ewjer sometimes is a better word than less,
and no doubt its use for less is often a mere affecta-
tion of accuracy." d 132.

Lesser (for less) "An idiomatic irregularity
which we must be content to tolerate." i 85, x 115, s
105. "Lesser is rarely used for less, except in certain
special instances in which its employment has
become established by custom, as lesser Asia ( i. e.
Asia Minor), the lesser light, and the like; also in
poetry for the sake of the metre, or where its usage
renders the passage more euphonious." Wb.

Liet's (for let). " Well, farmer, let's you and I go
■ [let us, or let you and me go] by ourselves." — Charles
Reade. a 52.
Let. For many slang phrases, see tt 614.

Liett (for let). -'There seems to be a habit of
expressing any less usual sense of a monosyllabic
word by doubling the final letter. Thus I have
sometimes seen 'This house to kit.' And in one of
the numerous mining circulars which are constantly
swelling one's daily parcel of letters, I observe it
stated, that the sett is very rich and promising.
Thus, likewise, clear profit is sometimes described
as Tiett, instead of 7iei." i 35.

126 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Letter. "We are using the word letter in its
wider sense, as meaning the envelope as it is received
unopened from the post." i 89.

Liable (for likely) x 115, a 92.

Lief. "There is no better English than [liadi as
Kef." aa499, tt501. But see v 238.

Lieutenant. " The pronunciation of this word,
by all good English speakers, has for centuries been
leftenant. That is its pronunciation now in England
and iu Ireland, and by the best speakers in Amer-
ica." aa 242. R. G. W. gives as a reason the inter-
change of u for V and hence for /. Mathews says,
" from a notion that this officer holds the left of the
line"(!) r 318. "Almost universally pronounced
leftenant in the United States, and the difference
between army and navy UeiUenant'i treated with
Republican indifference." tt 500. ,

Like (for as). "Like and as both express similar-
ity, but the former compares things, the latter
action or existence. * * When a-s- is correctly used,
a verb is expressed or understood. The woman is
as tall as the man, i. e.. as the man is. With like, a
verb is neither expressed nor understood. He does
his work like a man, not, like a man works." a 137,
r 345, y 207, i 234, x 115. See tt 500, where the
author quotes as illustration, ' ' I did not feel like
saying another word."

Like (for iiX-e cw). "Improperly, because need-
lessly employed, as ' a timid, nervous child, like
Martin was.'" c 118.

LETTER — LOCATE. 127

LiKEWi E (for also). "Also classes together things
or qualities, whilst likewise couples action or states
of being." r 346. "Likewise is very nearly or ex-
actly identical with also." Wb.

Limb (for leg), a 181, tt 500, g 28.

Limbo. "Not slang, as often stated. The Cath-
olic Prayer-Book says, 'Christ descended into
Limbo." ttSOl.

Limited (for scanty, slight). " Opinion on a lim-
ited acquaintance.' An 'unlimited acquaintance'
would indeed be strange." c 37.

Line (of goods), aa 488.

Lit (for lighted). "Much censured as an Ameri-
canism." tt 501, X 115, g 29, "Obsolete or collo-
quial." W.

Liiteratvire (for learning). " A lady of no deep
literature."

LIVE (for quick, energetic), tt 501. Allowed by
Wb.

Liveable, a 238.

Loafer. X.

Loan (for lend). "Loan is not a verb, but a
noun." a 138, x 115, X.

Local (for local item). "A companion to editorial,
of still worse character." tt 466.

Locate {for place, or settle), a 138. x 116. But see
V 173, X.

1 28 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Look (followed by an adverb). " ' Miss Coghlan
looked charmingly.' The grammar of the New York
Herald would not have been any more incorrect if
it had said that Miss Coghlan looked gladly or
sadly, or madly, or delightedly." v 117, d 59.
" ' Looks beautifully' is a phrase heard almost daily
from the lips of educated men and women. But she
is beautifully, or she seems beautifully, are no more
improper than she looks beautifully. We qualify
what a person does by an adverb; what a person is
by an adjective; for example, it is right to say,
' She looks coldly on him; and she looks cold.' "

Loose (for lose), i 37.

Lord Bacon. The philosopher never was Lord
Bacon, but here usage prevails against pedantry.
198.

Lose. "They illustrate, "then, the common use
of a transitive verb witli a reflexive pronoun ex-
pressed or understood, e. g., 'I amuse myseif,' ' the
sea breaks (itself).' There are two verbs that are
used thus by the best writers, but with questionable
propriety, — 'to lose oneself (for 'to lose one's way'),
and 'to enjoy oneself (for 'to enjoy a visit,' or
walk, or view, etc.) ' Coelum non animum mutat'
holds good of wanderers in a desert, who may lose
their way, their baggage, anything but themselves."
c93.

{As to pronunciation), "But when usage besides
this requires us to give the o in lose the sound of u
in luminary, we feel indeed that reasoning about

LOOK LUXURIOUS. 129

spelling aud pronunciation is almost at an end." i
37.

Love (for like.) " A man loves his children, his
mother, his wife, his mistress, the truth, his coun-
try. But some men speak of lovini^ green peas or
apple pie, meaning they have a liking for them."
a 138, X 117. " Still less say of anything which you
enjoy at table, ' 1 love it.' 'I love melons,' ' I love
peaches,' 'I adore grapes '—these are school-girl
utterances. We love our friends. Love is an emo-
tion of the heart, but not of the palate."

Luggage (for baggage), x 117.

Lunch (for luncheon), x 118.

Luxurious (for luxuriant, meaning of r;tnk
growth). xll8. "Rare." W. "Obsolete." Wb.

Mad (for angry). " Excellent old English." tt 503,
X 118. " There is a very common colloquial use of
this word in this country; and in this sense it is said
to be very common in conversation in England." W.

Madam. Often wrongly spelled Madame, tt 504.

Maintain (for ufliold). d 85

Majority (relating to place or circumstances, for
most). X.

Make a visit. "Whatever it once was, no
longer is English." vv 48, x 296.

Make MONEY. "Don't you see the impropriety
of it? To make money is to coin it; you should say
to get money.'" — Br. Johnson, tt 118.

Make ^vay willi (iormake away). To make way
is to move more or less rapidly, to dispatch: to go
off with is to make away with." aa 410.

Mal. aa 501.

Man and wipe (for husband and wife), d 131.

Manner. "The manner in which a man enters a
drawing-room may be unexceptionable, while his
maimers are very bad." r 325.

Manufacturer (for shoemaker, etc.). a 139, tt
303.

MADAME. 131

Manufacttjral. V 121. Rare. W.

Marry. "Properly speaking, a man is not mar-
ried to a woman, or married with liev; nor are a man
and woman married toilh each other. The woman
is married to the man." a 140. " A man marries a
woman, a woman is married to tlie man, and the
priest joins tliemin marriage.'' y 74. See vv 88.

In speaking definitely of the act of marriage, the
passive form is necessarily used with reference to
either spouse, for (unless they were Quakers) some
third person married him to her and her to him.
But in speaking indefinitely of the fact of marriage,
the active form is a matter of course." x 119. "A
man marries a woman; or, a woman marries a man.
Both of these uses are equally well authorized."
Wb.

Masses (for people). "The masses of what?" r 349.
Wb. gives this use.

Materialistic (for material), d 18.

Matinee. "The proper term for a morning
reception, or a morning musical or theatrical per-
formance," d 113.

Me (as a dative). "The order, Boil me an egg,
does not indicate that the speaker is an unhatched
chicken crying out to be cooked, nor in rendering
1 Kings xiii., 13, ' And he said unto his sons. Saddle
me the ass,' is the emphasis warranted, in the next
sentence, 'So tliey saddled 1dm.'" aa 387, 321.

Me (for /, in "it is me"). "English men, wo-
men, and children go on saying it, and will go on

132 VERBAL PITFALLS.

saying it as long as the English language is spoken."
i 1^4. "At the same time it must be observed that
the expression it ?*• me = it is 1, will not justify the
use of it is him, it is her = it is he, and it is she. Me,
ye, you, are wliat may be called indifferent forms,
i. e. , nominative as mnch as accusative, and accusa-
tive as much as nominative. Hi'in and her, on the
other hand, are not quite indifferent. "—La^/i«»i. But
Alford would defend him and her, as well as me.
i 158, 38.5. So Bain, x 33. "Philologically speak-
ing, it is me is just as correct as it is you. The dif-
ference between them is tliat the latter is sustained
by the authority of all good writers and speakers,
the former merely by Ihe authority of some. The
student if he is wise will therefore, avoid using the
former method of expression ; but if he is wise he
will also avoid abusing it." — The Century for July,
1S82.

Means, Measles. See Alms.

Meat (at table, for beef, mutton, etc.). "To say
the least, inelegant." x 119.

Mellay. An attempt by Tennyson in The Prin-
cess to anglicise the French word melee, p 130.

Memorialize (for memorize), v 171.

Memorandum. See Index.

Merchandising. "A barbarous euphuism." tt
301.

Mes.srs. Jacksons' (for Messrs. Jackson's).
i 33.

Metaplior (for simile), g 30.

MEANS MISSES BROWN. 133

Metaphysician (for psychologist). " How far the
character of the parent may intiuence the charac-
ter of the child, I leave the metwphydcian to decide."
— Disraeli, c 38.

Method. "One important sense of the word
meiliod, a cunning, crafty, roundabout way, is
entirely lost; which may teach us how inaccurate it
is to talk of a direct method.'" s 55.

MEWSES (for meics). i 30. See Alms. No plu-
ral. W.

MIDST {In our midst.) r 349, x 81. But see y 48.
"The phrases in our midst, in your midst, in their
midst, have unhappily gained great currency in this
country, and are sometimes, though rarely, to be
found in the writings of reputable English authors.
The expressions seem contrary to the genius of the
language, as well as opposed to the practice of our
best and most accurate writers, and should therefore
be abandoned ." Wb.

Militate against (for be at variance with.) a 141.
But see v 285, 345, vv 89.

Mighty (for «er^). y 181. Colloquial. W., Wb.

MISCEGENATION. " It seemed hard to make
a word that could be worse." It 289. " A rare and
ill-formed word." Wb. Not given by "W.

Misuoniered. a 411. Mr Hall says it is not
wanted, but is faultless, v 195.

Misses Brown (or the Miss Browns). "Usage is
all but universal in favor of the latter in conversa-
tion." i 27, B 245.

134 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Two of our young men went to Henderson this
week to see the Misses Jones, two very estimable
young hidies there. A colored girl came to the
door, and the following conversation look place:

" Are tlie Misses Jones in?"

" Yes, sah, Mrs. Jones am in. Does you want to
see her?"

"No, we want to see the Misses Jones."

" Mrs. Jones, dat's what I said."

"We want to see the Misses Jones. Can't you
understand?"

"Course I kin. De Mrs. Jones am de old lady.
Dat's de only missus in dis hear house."

" We want to see the old lady's daughters."

" Oh, de Miss Joneses. Why didn't you say so?
I reckon you'se both drunk. C'ome pesterin' 'round
heah wid yo' misses and missus and de. You'd bet-
ter cl'ar out, you can't peddle no books heah, you
heah me?" and she slammed the door in the faces of
the astonished young l)loods. This is an actual
occurence. — Evaiisville Argtis.

Mistake (for error), d 78.

Mistake, " 'To take amiss,' is a transitive verb
{'I mistook him for some one* else '), and like all
transitive verbs has a passive voice (I was mistaken
for another'). There are of course passives that
have a middle form, 'I am deceived,' 'I am
a-mused,' etc. ; but all of these have also a reflexive
form, 'I deceive myself.' ' I amuse myself,' etc.
This mistake has not, for one would never say, ' If I
do not mistake myself; and therefore they offer no

MISTAKE MirTKN. 135

true analogy to 'I am mistaken," wliicli is neither
necessary nor universal. ' In the latter sense a man
\Xi&j be mistaken, and his work burned, but by that
very fire he will be %?ived..' —Macdonalcl. Here the
meaning might be active or passive." c 94, d 77, r
323, X 125. But Alford siys: " We expect to hear
you are miataken, and should be surprised at hearing
asserted you are mistaking or you mistake, unless fol-
lowed by an accusative, the meaning, or me. When
we hear the former of these, we begin to consider
whether we are right or wrong; when the latter,
we at once take the measure of our friend, as one
who has not long escaped from the study of the
rules of the lesser grammarians, by which, and not
by the usages of society, circumstances have com-
pelled him to learn his language." i 106, x 72.

Mister. " An abbreviation of the Latin, magis-
ter, master, aad in England it h applied regularly
to persons in an inferior social condition. Any
mechanic or workingmau, who is there looked down
upon by the more gorgeous and fortunate portion
of mankind — every man in England looks down on
somebody and looks up to somebody — is addressed
as 'Mister;' while a gentleman who has no specific
title is addressed as 'Esquire.' In this country
there is no such distinction between the two." — iV.
Y. Sun.

Mrs. Governor Cornell (and simdar titles). X.

Mitten. To get the mittens ought to be the
expression, as it is derived from the use of the
French mitaines, which had to be accepted by the

136 VERBAL PITFALLS.

unsuccessful lover instead of the hand after (?)
which he aspired, tt 319.

Modulate (for moderate). "Modulate your

voice." g 31.

Moneyed, i 109.

Monies (for moneys), i 28.

Monthly. See Divine, a 107.

More, j [vi'iih. perfect, universal, etc.). x 125,
Most &c. I r 361, d 142. bb 46.

mo^t {ioY almost). "Inexcusable." tt507, x 126.

Most (for very), d 63.

Mush-melon (for mu-sk-melon). g 22.

Mussiiliiieii (for mtissulmans) r 365.

Mutual (for common). "It should always con-
vey a sense of reciprocity." c 38.

"Thoue;h Mr. Dickens wrote Our Mutual Friend,
and not at all with any intention to accredit the
expression which he chose for his title, he had used
a similar expression in sober earnest {Pickwick
Papers); and in the collective edition of his works he
let it pass." v 242, o 302, aa 396. But see a 91. "Not
defensible except on the bare plea of mutual agree-
ment." r 358, i 223, X. "Mutual implies an inteV'
change of the thing spoken of between the parties;
as, mutual friendship. Hence, to speak of a mutual
friend (as if a friend could be interchanged) is a
gross error." Wb.

Myself (for 1). " 'I myself have done it' really
equals ' I the same have done it for me,' and ' My-

MODULATE — MYSELF. 137

self have done it ' is as incorrect as ' Me have done
it.' * * As to meaning, himself has a two-fold
usage, reflexive and distinctive, e. g., ' He saw him-
self and 'He himself saw.' It is the distinctive
usage that comes in question in sentences such as
'John and myself were going.' Here there is no
necessity to emphasize the personal pronoun, as
there would be if the sentence ran, ' John had pre-
pared to go, but was unwell, so / had to go
myself" 1 121. r 354, x 137.

The reflexive force is brought out by the follow-
ing faulty ellipsis : Now I have a much better opin-
ion of myself than the world at large entertains (of
me). — C. J. Mattheics's Autobiography, c 90.

XT,

Name (for mention). I have never named the
matter to any one. x 126.

Nasty (for disagreeable. "This word, at best
not vpell suited to dainty lips, is of late years shock-
ingly misused by British folk who should be
ashamed of such slipshod English." a 198, tt 509.
A titled Englishwoman is said to have remarked to
the gentleman by her side at dinner, "Do try this
soup; it isn't half nasty." "Though these two last
[Carlyle and Macaulay] have said nasty things of
Scott, it little became them to do so." Shairp,
Aspects of Modern Poetry, p. 90.

" 'Oh, don't you think "nice" is a nasty word?'
asked Oscar Wilde of a bright Cleveland girl, the
other evening, when the little beauty retorted:
'And do you think ?i«si<?/ is a nice word?' The
great apostle of aestheticism abruptly changed the
subject."

Near (for parsimonious), v 203, 243.
Necessitate, a 141,

Neither. See Either. For addition to nega-
tion, " not so well as they neither," see tt 510, \:243.

Neoterism. Preferred to neologism because it
does not suggest either praise or dispraise, v 20.
Not given by W. or Wb.

NAME NICE. 139

Nervous. ''A nervous writer is one who has
force and energy; a nervous man is one who is weak,
sensitive to trifles, easily excited." a 322, y 71.

Nett (for net). See Let.

Never (for ever). Charm he never so wisely." r
351, X 128. "In familiar speech we mostly say
ever so; in writing, and especially in the solemn and
elevated style, we mostly find never so." i83, v 270.

Never (for not). "Napoleon never died in
France." d 98.

New suit op clothes (for suit of new clotJies). x
128.

Nice (as an omnibus, a "characterless domino."
— Hare). " Lastly yiice has come to be a loose and
siiperfluous synonym for agreeable. ' It is now
applied to a sermon, to a jamtart, to a young man,
in short to everything ' (e 244)." c 41, p 141, tt 510,
vv 26, X 128. "Nice is derived by some etymolo-
gists from the Anglo-Saxon hnesc, soft, effeminate;
but there is good reason for believing that it is from
the Latin nescius, ignorant. 'Wise, and nothing
nice,' says Chaucer; that is, no wise ignorant. If
so, it is a curious instance of the extraordinary
changes of meaning which words undergo, that nice
should come to signify accurate or fastidious, which
implies knowledge and taste, rather than ignorance.
The explanation is, that the diffidence of ignorance
resembles the fastidious slownesss of discernment."
r 305, 358.

" What then are the qualifications which entitle a

140 VERBAL PITFALLS.

person to be classified among 'nice people'? * *
Generally speaking we believe the phrase is conven-
tionally understood to mean people who are received
into good society. It does not necessarily point to
the rich or to those of good family, * * but it is a
sine qua non that they should have a place in what
is known as ' society. ' " — London Saturday Review.

Nicely (for iciell). "The very quintessence of
popinjay vulgarity is reached when nicely is made to
do service tovicell: 'How are you?' ' Nicely.' " x 128.

No " is a shortened form of none = not one, and
therefore the indefinite article is pleonastic in ' Na
stronger and stranger a figure.' " — McCarthy, c 70.

No (for not). Whether or no. " No never prop-
erly qualifies a verb." r 353, x 129. No more than
you can help, d 98.

Nohow, tt 510.

None. ' ' Etymologically singular. ' None but
the brave deserves the fair,' wrote Dryden, butoften-
est perhaps the line is quoted, ' None but the brave
.deserve the fair;' and ' None are so blind as those who
won't see,' is certainly the current version." c 154.

Nor (for or), i 121, x 128.

IS or (for than, after comparative). "Better 7wr
fifty bushels." tt 510.
Nor yet (for nai% d 136.

Not. " I may say 'what was my astonishment,
and I may say ' what was not my astonishment,' and
I may convey the same meaning. By the former I

NICELY NUMBER. 141

mean, 'How great was my astonishment;' by the
latter, that no astonishment could be greater than
mine was." 184.

Notion (for indiaation). "I have a notion to
go." "Of course incorrect." tt 511. Colloquial
and low. Wb.

Notorious (for n/)ted). x 130.

Notwithstanding (as a conjunction). " We say
correctly, ' nohcithstnnding his objections,' but not
properly, 'notwithstanding he objected.' " y 207,
V 292. "Now little used in either of the above
senses [however, although] by good writers." W.

NOVITIATE (for novice), c 62. Allowed by Wb.

Nowadays. " It has been remarked that nowa-
days and had have meet all the conditions of good
usage, being reputable, national and present; but
one is a solecism, the other a barbarism." r H34.
Frequently used by Hall, v 154, &c. See also vv 6.

Noways (for 710 ?cay.) d 25.

Nowliercs (for no where), d 25.

Nude (for naked), r 103.

Number (for p/gce of music), aa 493.

O-

O (for Oh!). " Oh! is simply an exclamation, and
should be followed by some mark of punctuation,
usually an exclamation point. 0, in addition to
being an exclamation, denotes a calling to or adju-
ration." X 133. "This distinction, however, is
nearly or totally disregarded by most writers, even
the best, the two forms being generally used quite
indiscriminately." Wb.

Oaten. See Golden.

Obituary. See Divine.

Objective (for subjective), i 119.

Obliviate. d 28.

Obnoxious (for ojfe/m^e). c 143, p 144. " How
often we hear some one spoken of as 'a most obnox-
ious person,' though the true sense of such a phrase
is equivalent to saying ' he is very servile.' To con-
vey in accurate language the sense in which the
■word is generally used, the speaker should be care-
ful to state to what or to whom a person is obnox-
ious." s 55. But see v 270, vv 92.

Observe (for say), a 143, x 131.

Observation (for observance), v 293. Eare. W,

Odds. See Alms.

O — OF.

143

Of (toTfrom). " ' Received of John Smith fifty
dollars.' Usage, perhaps, sanctions this." r 346-

Op (after verbals). "According then to Abbott,
of would not seem to be required after verbals,
whether they were preceded by the definite article
or not (m 65); according to Dr. Morris, it was
required by sixteenth-century usage in either case
(1 173); according to Mr. Mason it is required or not
according as the verbal has more or less of a sub-
stantial or of a verbal character (n 64). Adopting
this last view," etc. c 107, x 137. Yet "there
seems to be a difference between ' The meeting of
Edwin and Arthur was long delayed,' and 'The
meeting Edward and Arthur was a great pleasure to
me.' So ' The hearing of the case is fixed for Mon-
day' is right beyond all question, but it is not so
certain whether we should say, ' The hearing a lie
differs from the telling a lie.' or 'the hearing of . .
the telling o/ a lie.' Oneway of solving the doubt
is to omit the definite article, another to substitute a
substantive for the verbal." c 108, b 115-6, d 84.

Of. " As inserted between verbs and their direct
object is very frequent in all parts of the Union,
and arose originally, no doul)t, from the instinctive
perception of the verb as a noun. ' The feeling of
it is quite soft,' 'He expects to be well paid for the
letting r/it.'" tt51'3 See Treat.

Of. "It is used in designations of this kind in
three different senses: 1 To denote authorship, as
t?ie book of Daniel; 2. To denote subject-matter, as

144 VERBAL PITFALLS.

the first hook of Kings; 3. As a note of apposition,
signifying winch is, or which is called, as the hook of
Genesis." i 118. '• While we always say the city of
Cairo, not tJie city Cairo, we never say the river of
Nile, but always the river Nik:' i 119, d 67. " The
phrase 'all of its provisions ' is better and more ele-
gant than the phrase ' all its provisions,' which our
carrespondent would seem to prefer. — N. Y. Sun.

Of (omitted). A gallows fifty feet high, or a gal-
lows of fifty feet high. "Clearly both of them
legitimate." i 187.

Of all others (for of all). This is of all others
the best, x 131, d 74, bb 54.

Ofauy (for 0/ ««)■ The largest of a^ij^. x 133.

Of (for in). " 'Not one graduate of a dozen can
write a grammatical sentence.' 'Not one graduate
of a dozen.' One may be a graduate of a college; he
can scarcely be a graduate of anything else, or of
any number of things, if he be a collegian merely.
The writer meant, not one graduate in a dozen, or
in (not of) that proportion."

Oft" of (for off). A yard off of the cloth, r 361.

Offal. ' ' This we restrict at present to the
refuse of the butcher's stall." p 146, tt 512.

Official (for officer). X.

Officious. " An o^"czo?<s person is now a busy,
uninvited meddler in matters which do not belong to
him, * * The more honorable use of officious now
only survives in the distinction familiar to diplo-

OF — ON. 145

macy between an official and [an] officious communi-
cation, p 146.

Often. Should be compared oftener, oftenest,
not more, most often, x 132.

Old (for ancient). " Old times." r 228.

Old news. "May be placed in the same class
with enjoying bad health. " y 205.

Older (for elder, of persons), r 364, x 132. If
this distinction were universal it would relieve of
ambiguity the phrase "oldest inmate," quoted by
Alford, i 25, which would mean -the one who had
been longest in the hospital.

OM TCRON (for oml'cron). i 62.

On. "Seems to be a favorite preposition with
Americans; at least it is constantly found where
other prepositions would seem to be more correct
and appropriate. F. G. Halleck already con-
demned [?] this abuse, a result of the prevailing
carelessness in the use of words, and quoted the
phrases: 'Going to Europe 6»7i a steamboat; writing
a letter on Chambers-street, and delivering it on
Fifth avenue; being mentioned on the Times news-
paper'; and actually speaking of Our Father which
art on heaven! Persons are constantly heard to
speak of friends whom they saw on the street, and
having come on the cars, while in the South mem-
bers are elected to sit on the Legislature. Hence the
common phrase of being on time instead of in time."
*t 513.

14(i VERBAL PITFALLS.

On (for in). "Mr. Howells countenances thia
folly by writing ' Tliere are a few people to be seen
on the street'! Let him and all others who would
not be at once childish and pedantic, say, in the
street, in Broadway. * * We are in or within a
limited surface, but on or wpon one that is without
visible boundaries. Thus a man is in a field, but on
a plain." a 189, aa 419, d 127. So of on the cars,
on the steamer, etc.

On \ (for upon). " The cat }\.im\jed upon the
On to j chair, that is up on the chair. She could

not jump on to the chair, for when she was once on

the chair, she could not jump to it." aa 421, r 364,

tt 513, i 180. "Wheu we say ' The cat jumped on

to the chair,' we mean that the cat jumped from

somewhere else to the chair, and alighted on it; but

when we say, 'The cat jumped on the chair,' we

mean that the cat was on the chair already, and that

while there she jumped " bb 45. No distinction in

the use of on and upon, i 182, x 132.

On hand. "A phrase which in America is .strange
ly abused, being applied to persons as well as to
merchandise. ' Be on hand e&r\y, and vote." " tt302.

On YESTERDAY (for yesterday.) X, d 127.

One. " The indefinite pronoun should certainly
not be followed by 'they' or 'their,' but it is a dis-
puted point whetlier ' he ' and ' his ' (as in French)
or 'one' and 'one's' is the correcter. On the
whole, the authority of writers and grammarians is
in favor of the latter, cf. : " Wheu one suddenly

ON ONLY TOO.

147

wakes up deaf, one forgets for a time that oiie has
already been blind.' "Stigand. c 155, i 226, x 133.

" What one has done when one was young,
One ne'er will do again ;
In former days one went by coach.
But now one goes by truin."

One half (for a half), d 97.

One word (for what may occupy half an hour),
dl40.

ONES. "Two ones?" r 366, d 27. Allowed by
Wb.

Only. "If we were to ask the question, 'Had
you only the children with you?', a person south of
the Tweed would answer no, and a person north of
the Tweed 2^^s, both meaning the same thing, viz.,
that only the children were there. * * The account
to be given of this seems to be that only is none but:
' Had you none but the children with you?' and the
answer is None affirming the question. So that the
negative form naturally occurs to the mind in fram-
ing its answer, and none becomes no. AVhereas in
the other case this form does not occur to the mind,
but simply having to affirm the matter inquired of,
viz., the having only the children: and the answer
is Even so, or yes. " i 84.

More frequently misplaced than any other word.
X 134.

Only too (superfluous). "His services were only
too gladly accepted." Why only too? There is no
sense in this attempt to intensify the force of gladly
by a negative modifier. Too glad, too good, too will-

148 VERBAL PITFALLS.

ing (phrases often heard and read), are abortions
when carefully analyzed." — N. C. Advocate.

Open up. d 108, i 183, bb 50.

Or (for and), d 141.

Or (for no7\ after tieitlier). a 262. (After not,
nothing, or any form of negative affirmation), d 141.

Orate, a 205, d 21. Defended, vv 76. Not
given by W. or Wb.

Originate. "Landor makes Dr. Johnson say:
' Scholars will always say the measure originated
from him.' Nevertheless scholars already have in
such a case often said v;ith." v 298.

Orthographt. See Caligraphy. c 13, r 358,
y 204.

Ortliopoedic (for art/iopodic). y 53. W and
Wb. give neither form.

Osculate (for kiKs). "An utterly unwarrantable
vulgarism." tt 514.

Osteology must not be limited to human bones.
c 41.

Other. "I must confess I saw no other disap-
pointed individual [person] leaving the cook-shop
except myself ." — G. M. Barnes, c 123.

" Monthly and Weekly Payments.

'■ The longest time and easiest terms given by any
other house in the city." — Chatham St. sif/7i. aa 379.

Ought (for sJiotdd). " Ought is the stronger term.
What we o^ight to do, we are morally bound to do."

OPEN UP OWN TO.

149

X 136. ''Ought implies the obligation of duty;^
should, the obligation of custom." W.

"Our Mr. So and So." aa 493.

Ov'T%U)^ {tor except). ''Outside the Secretary of
War, nobody knew." tt 514.

Ovation. X.

Over and above (for more than). X.

Over liis signature (for under his signature).
X 177, X, d 57. "This unwarrantable innovation."
—Pickering. Quoted by W. and Wb.

Overly, x 130. Rare. W.

^'^ \ for confess), d 138.
Own to 5 -^ '

PAmFJJL [for laborious), pp.261. Obsolete. Wb.

Pains. See Alms, n 64.

Palatial. " A favorite term with grandiloquent
speakers." tt 514.

Palliate. "At this clay to extenuate a fault
through the setting out of whatever will best serve
to diminish the estimate of its gravity; and does not
imply any endeavor wholly to deny it; nay, implies
rather a certain recognition and admission of the
fault itself." p 148.

Pamper (for pander), c 42.
Panacea "means by itself a universal remedy,
and must not have universal cowp\e6. with it." a 212.

Pantaloons. "We find a writer in the Hour
speaking of 'pantaloons; ' and we beg to inform the
editor of that journal that no such thing is known
to the English language. The garment in question
is properly called trousers. It is a word of Italian
origin, and was originally applied to the peculiar
hose worn by the pantalone or clown in a panto-
mime. At any rate, it is not a word of good repute
in the English language." — N. Y. Sun.

Pants. See Gent, tt 515.

Paper (for newspaper), d 145.

PAINFUL PARTIALLY. 151

Paradox. "A i^aradox is a seeming absurdity,
and to say that ' such and such a thing seems a para-
dox,' is to be guilty of the tautology that it seems a
seeming absurdity.' It reminds one of the Irishman's
remark, ' My pig is not so heavy as I expected, and
I never thought it would be.' " c 43.

Parag-raplier (for paragi-aphisf). a 215.

Paralyse. Sea Analyse.

Parapheknalia (for equipment), r 361, x 137,
d 54.

Pardon (for forgiveness) e, I 243.

Parlor (for drawing room). " In England, people
who have a drawing-room no longer call it a parlor,
as they called it of old, and till recently." v 247,
vv48, x 137, aa503.

Partake of (for eat), a 143, c 43, r 336, tt 515,
i 248, V 137.

Partially {for partly). "Partially, the adverb
of partial, means with unjust or unreasonable bias.
A view cannot be both correct and partial. When
anything is done in part, it is partly, not partially,
done." a 143. x 137, X. But "Partially, for not
totally, only in part, was in some connections good
English to Sir Thomas Brown; and from the edu-
cated sense of euphony which distinguishes modern
ears it has been well nigh completely resuscitated.
There are cases, in which partly, if substituted for
it. would affect many persons of nice perceptions
much after the manner of a wrong note in music,

152 VERBAL PITFALLS.

e. g. ' Shakspere did perfectly what Aeschylus did
partially.'' — Ruskin." v 191.

Particle (for at all). As "not a particle,'' for
"uot «« «Z;," or (colloquially) "not a bit." aa 414.

Parts (for talents), v 293.

Party (for person), a 148, v 81, i 246, x 138, X»
" Mr. G. Lewes told me of au undertaker who spoke
of a corpse as ' the party in the next room.' " c 33,
r 348. " This use of the word happened to strike
more particularly the fancy of the vulgar; and the
consequence has been that the polite have chosen to
leave it in their undisputed possession." " Wanted:
a party to teach a young man dancing privately."
1247.

Pass (for Ziftftd). "Pass a dish." d 132.

Passing (for more than). " Passing a couple of
months." v 248.

Past two weeks (for last two weeks). X.

Patience (as plural), n 64.

Patience's. " We should say ' for patience' sake,'
meaning 'for the sake of patience.' If we were
speaking of a person named Patience, we should say
' Patience's father is here.' " i 26.

Patron (for customer; in education, for parent).
X 138, a 144.

Patronage (for custom), x 138.

Peas (for iiease). g 34. "Peas is used when
number is referred to; pease, when species or quan-
tity is denoted." W.

PABTIOLE PERIOD. 153

Peculiarly (for exceedingly), d 62.

Pell-mell (of the action of an individual). " ' I
rushed pell-mell out of the theatre.' The writer
might as well have said that he rushed out promis-
cuously, or marched out by platoons." a 145, x 139,
g33.

Pen (for authorship), d 73. " Often used figura-
tively for one who uses a pen." Wb.
Pensive (for thoughtful), f 239.

Penury. This expresses now no more than the
objective fact of extreme poverty ; an ethical subject-
ive meaning not lying in it, as would sometimes of
old. This is retained now only in penurious, penu-
riousness." p 153.

People (for j^^^^ons). "Many people think so."
r 36. "I own I cannot find that this distinction is
entirely borne out." 1236.

Per (for a). Ten cents per quart, x 139.

Perform (for play on the piano), x 139.

Period. " The word period, again, except in
scientific use, is one which has lost all immediate
connection with its radical and original sense. As
referred to time we may say (and do say very often),
English literature may be clas.sed under three peri
ods: from Chaucer to the Reformation ( say 1350 to
1520, 170 years); from the Reformation to Milton
(say 1520 to 1660. 140 years); and from Milton's
time to ours (say 200 years): and the use of this
expression, which the necessities of our language

154 VERBAL PITFALLS.

has rendered universal, is still inaccurate: while if
we speak of a number of feriodi of equal length,
such as centuries, years, months, weeks, we shall
be using the word with perfect accuracy. For we
take it metaphorically from its astronomical use,
which expresses the recurring and equal measures
of the time taken by a heavenly body to complete
its orbits [orbit] ; and our substantive and adjective
'periodical still retains the accurate astronomical idea
which the word suggests. But the use of the word
'period in the sense of punctuation is still more
involved. When a planet has completed an observed
circuit it does not cease to revolve, but nevertheless
the idea of completion has so far and so generally
suggested the idea of cessation, that we actually
have taken the word implying the planet's entire
circuit to express our notion of its conclusion only,
and close a sentence with a full stop under the name
of & period. The establishment of this sen.se, again,
has given us another metaphor, and from the use of
di period or full stop in writing, we have learned, in
the sense of terminating or checking any course of
proceeding, to speak of putting a period or stop to
it. We may further note in this case (as may be
noted also in numberless others) how by some
unconscious instinct of accuracy, when the original
sense of a word has become lost in its metaphorical
one, the words used in connection with it are still
suited to the primitive though forgotten idea: for
the word period implies a circuit, a course round a
centre, and to express smoothness and accuracy of

PERIODICALS PERSON. 155

a writer's sentoncee we constantly speak of his
periods hein^ yfeW rounded." s 84.

Periodicals. "Frequent but unwarranted, since
the word is an adjective, not a noun." tt 516, v 169.

Permeate (for indoctrinate), c 43.
Perpetually (for continually), x 139.

Person. Originally a mask, aa 386. 8o parson,
r297, 808, y 31, 232. Blackley calls this "a ridic-
ulous error," s 68, and is ridiculed for it by Hall,
vv 27. " The present meaning of the word jyerson
is in its widest and most accepted sense synonymous
with human individual. It can be applied with
equal accuracy to man, woman, or child of any
rank, class, or quality; in its plain form it is more
general than mail, since it can be applied to mem-
bers of a different sex and a different age of the
human race than [?] the word man can be; and it is
more particular thuu individual, since that term may
be accurately applied not only to members of the
human race, but to those of any class of animals,
and any class of things. Again, the word can be
used to signify contempt; and it may be used to
express disgust, as in the words, ' So and so is a
most objectionable ^ersoft.' Again, it may express
distinction between classes, as when we are unwil-
ling to speak of a milliner or a barmaid as a young
lady (though, indeed, American notions would scout
such hesitation) and we regard the class as suffi-
ciently expressed by speaking of ' the young person.'
In this use, by the way, the word implies a female,

156 VERBAL PITFALI-S.

since the same shade of difference does not need
expression in talking of our own clumsier and
coarser sex, which may be designated by so many
familiar correlatives, which begin in man, and pass
through lad and felloic down to the more vu'gar but
equally expressive chap. So again the word person
may be used as a matter of dignity, as we say, 'A
person of quality, a person of importance,' where we
do not say, ' A man (or a woman) of quality.' " s 65.

Personalty (for apparel), r 363, x 140.

Perspicuity (for perspicacity), c 60.

Perspiration (for sweat). Though James Russell
Lowell declares that this use is vulgar, we fancy
there are few people who do not prefer to use the
longer word. It is an old distinction that a horse
sweats, a man perspires, and a woman glows. See
Transpire. A heated lover who began a letter to
his inamorata, "Thou sweatest," found her no longer
sweet to him.

Persuade (for advise). " Can stand for advise
when the persuasion has carried conmction." c 43.
See g 35.

Persuasion. " Recently sadly perverted from
its legitimate purpose; as, ' passengers of the female
persuasion.' " tt 623, i 35.

Peruse (for read, scan). ' ' Much affected by
unrefined persons, who invariably prefer a strange
but high-sounding word to the more familiar expres-
sion." tt 517.

PERSONALTY PLAY ACTOR. 157

Petroleum (for rock-oil). " Perfectly legitimate,
but one of a class that is doing injury to the lan-
guage." a 215.

Pharoali (for Pharaoh), i 38.

Phenomenon. " The Only True Living Piienom-
enon." aa 374.

PHOTOGRA.PHER {for photographist) a 215. But
see vv 59. Allowed by W.

Physicist. "Unlovely, irregular, ambiguous."
aa 470. "A very late and very useful neotorism."
V 308.

Pigmy (for pygmy), r 317. "The y is gone, and
we must submit." y 210.

Pile {U-yr amount). "Owed me quite a pile." tt 304.

(for entire resources). "Beyond my pile.''

tt 304.

Pitcher. " Used for 7W51', is frequently adduced
by Englishmen as a test-word by which Americans
are recognized abroad." a 84, tt 518

Placate, d 96.

Plastic (for suitable to be nsed in moulding, as
plastic clay), c 43.

Platitiidiiioiis. "To disburthen one's self of
a sense of contempt, a robust full-bodied detona-
tion, like, for instance, platitudinous, is unquestion-
ably very much more serviceable than any evanes-
cing squib of one or two syllables." v 310.

Play-actor (for actor), tt 519.

158 vp:rbal pitfalls.

Plead (for pleaded), r 852, tt 519, x 141, d 112.
" Verba derived from Latin or any foreign language
cannot have the strong inflection of Saxon verbs." —
Blackwood, Oct. 1867. " Sometimes improperly used
for imp. and pp." Wb.

" Please FIND ENCLOSED." aa 492.

Plenty (for many, enough, in numbers), aa 423.

{for plentiful). Make money plenty, r 343,

V 248, X 141.

Pluck. Did not make its way into American
speech, at least, till Tom Brown's School Bays made
the term familiar here. The American people seem
to have been reluctant to accept so vile a word,
denoting the most worthless part of an animal's
entrails, as the representative of what their fathers
had called courage or heartiness, from the cor, the
heart of a man." tt 550.

'Plunder {for baggage). tt520. "Southern and
Western U. S." Wb.

Poetess. See Authoress.

Poignancy. See Acuteness.

Policy "Policy (state craft) is rightly spelled, but
policies of insurance ought to have the II, the word
being derived from polliceor, to promise or assure."
r318.

Polite. " Between polite and polished this mnch
of difference has now grown up and established
itself, that polite is always employed in a secondary
and tropical sense, having reference to the polish of

PLEAD POSSESSIVES. 159

the mind, while it is free to use polished in the literal
and figurative sense [senses] alike." p 159, r 290,.
pp 274.

(for kind). To write " I accept your 2yolite

invitation." suggests that the person might have
written an impolite one, and that you can give him
instruction as to whether he follows the usages of
society, x 142.

Political CAPITAL. " A term purely American
in its origin, though long since transplanted to Eng-
land, and naturalized there in the political slang
dictionary." tt 266.

Pond "Has taken the place of the English
mere, which is' almost unknown in the United
States." tt522.

Ponder. "Best employed as a transitive verb,
the matter weighed or deliberated being put in the
objective case without a preposition. Thus Milton
has 'ponders all events.' " c 44.

Polling, a 333.

Popular (for <7(9(9rf). aa 362, 371. Fov conceited,
tt 522.

Portion (for part). " A portion is a part set aside
for a special purpose, or to be considered by itself."
a 146, X 142, X. " Part is generic, having a simple
reference to some whole. Portion has the additional
idea of being subtracted from the whole." Wb.

PossESSiVES (in an objective use), aa 422.
(with verbals?), i 231, x 33.

160 VERBAL PITFALLS.
(as to their form), v 355.

Posted (for informed), tt 312, x 143, X, a 129.
"Colloquial, U. S." Wb.

Posthumous. " 'The common fate of posthu-
mous compositions."— Johnson. How can & compo-
sition date after its author's death?" v 203.

Poultryist. aa 471.

Practice. " A person was once asked whether
a certain lawyer had got rich by his practice. ' No,'
was the reply, ' but by his practices.' " r 325, w 311.

Pkactitioner. a 216, 401.

Prayerfully (for devoutly join), tt 240. See
also V 130.

Pkecious. See Blessed.

Predicate (for predict, or say). " Action may be
predicated of a body or an individual; but action by
a body upon circumstances or statements, is simple
absurdity." a 147, d 48, c 45, aa 391, r 349, tt 523,
i 233, X 143.

Predict {iox predicate). "A rarer blunder." c 45.

(of past events), d 96.

Prefer. " ' I prefer to walk tlian to ride,' is as
grammatically incorrect as '1 prefer to walk to to
ride,' is inharmonious. Say, 'I prefer walking to
riding,' or ' I would rather walk than ride." c 125.

Pre.judiced (for prepossessed in his favor). We
are prejudiced against one. x 143,pppl04, vl98, 201.

Preposterous. "Even with classic authors often

POSTED — PROGRESS. 161

lost its old vigorous sense of ' hindmost first ' in the
weaker meaning of ' absurd, unreasonable." c 46.
"A word nearly or quite unserviceable now, being
merely an ungraceful and slipshod synonym for
absurd." p 163.

PRESENT (for introduce). " We present foreign
ministers to the President; we introduce * * our
friends to each other." aa 147. See Introduce.

Presidential (for presideiitaJ). a 217. But see
vv 63. Presidental is not given by W. or Wb.

Presumptive (for presumptuous). " Self-reliant,
he was not pi'esmnptive." c 63, x 146. Rare. Wb.

Preventative (for preventive). " An impossible
form " c 63. a 22£, r 357, x 146, d 19. "Incorrectly
used ioT preventive." W., Wb.

Previous (for previously). "Previous to my
going." r 352. x 146, z 122.

Privilege (for right). See Carlyle's Past and
Present, iv., i. c 47.

Proceed (for go), a 129.

Procure (for get), x 146.

Productibility. v 181.

Program. " So I spell purposely." vv 46, y 200.

Progress, "the verb neuter, long erroneously
•called an Americanism, has shifted its accent in
becoming modern English. That we should have a
verb corresponding to the substantive progress is cer-
tainly desirable." d 286, i 114. "Dean Alford in
1864, and Mr. E. S. Gould in 1867, pointed out that

162 VERB,VL PITFALLS.

progress had been thus employed by Shakspere, Mi!-
ton, and Cibber; though the Dean seems still to
demur to the modern accentuation, progress, and to
the formation of a verb ou a nouQ. But is not the
verb formed on the past participle of progredior, just
as digress is from digredior, or transgress from trans-
gi-edior ? whWe H.S to the iiccent v^^ould Dean Alford
have said ' to object,' ' to project,' or ' to rebel ? ' Ety-
mologically progress is unimpeachable; while retro-
grade, the verb, is at least a corrector formation than
retrograde, the adjective, which was justly derided
in Jonson's Poetaster. * * At the same time writers
may with advantage ask themselves, before they
employ these verbs, whether advance, proceed, or
go forward might not be substituted for progress; go-
backward or decline for retrograde." c 49.' tt 524,
y 182. V 286. X. See d 99.

Prolific (for frequent), c 50.

Promiscuously (for casually), y 39.

" Promise (for assure). I promise you I was-
astonished. x 146, d 117.

Prompt. " Usually contains somewhat of re-
proach. We praise the girl that is ready with her
lesson, and detest a prompt miss who keeps an
answer or excuse at her fingers ends." e II., 199.

Proof (for evidence). Proof is the result of evi-
dence. X 150.

Property. \ "All propriety is now mental or
Propriety, f moral; where material things are

PROLIFIC PUT UP WITH. 163

concerned, property is the word which we use." p
168, r301.

PROPOSE {tor purpose), aa 396, x 150, "Recent. "^
Wb.

Proposition (for proposal). " A proposal is some'
thing offered to be done; a proposition is something
submitted to one's consideration." r 352, x 151.

Prosaist. " It is a word which we shall do well
to encourage." v 308.

Proven (for proved), a 220, r 352, tl 524, x 151,
"A Scotticism." Wb., W.

Providing (for provided). You may go, providing
you will be back in time. x 151.

Prox. (for next month), a 169.

Pulse (as plural), n 64,

Pupil. See Scholar.

Purchase (for buy), x 167.

Put. For various slang expressions, see tt 625.

Put up with. V 280.

Q-

Quaint. "In quaint there lies always now the
notion of a certain curiosity and oddness, however
these may be subordinated to ends of beauty and
grace, and indeed may themselves be made to con-
tribute to these ends." p 173.

Quality. "In French qualite has come to bear
the restricted meaning of 'good qualities,' and mod-
ern Euglish writers are aping this undesirable restric-
tion. Another restrictive use, that of quality for
' high estate, ' is rarer now than it was a century ago.
Villagers still speak of their superiors as • the qual-
ity,' but a modern novelist would hardly write: 'She
has been so obliging as to introduce my aunt and me
to some of her particular friends of quality.'" —
Smollett, c 50

Quantity (for number). A quantity of books, r
355, X 167, y 205.

Quarantine, ppp 195, f 144.

Quarter to ten (for quarter of ten), x 131.

Queer. " Has always more or less of the ludi-
crous in it, while it never serves to express — as it
does in Eoglish [England]— the sensation of sudden
illness or serious injury." tt 527.

Querulity. s 183.

QUAINT QUITE. 165

Querulous. ." Means complaining, and not ques-
tioning." g37.

Quit (for cease), x 167.

Quite. " Quite means completely, entirely, in a
finished manner. * * Therefore the common phrase,
miscalled an Americanism, quite a number, is unjus-
tifiable." a 147, tt 528. "May qualify an adjec-
tive, but not a noun." x 167.

" ' Quite a severe article; and quite unnecessarily
so, I should say. The use of quite is a peculiarity
which I quite remarked myself; but I think you
have quite a right to use it, as a substitute, if you
please, for our less exact very; and, in colloquial
writing, no one ought to object.' Clough. The uses
of quite which he exemplifies have been English for
considerably upwards of a hundred years. * * Quiet
often holds in signification a place intermediate
between altogether and somewhat. The French assez
and the Italian assai have a similar acceptation."
v51.

Railroad (for railway), a 148, tt 355.

Raindeer (for reindeer), s 191, y 300.

Rai.se (for bring up, educate), y 180. " A pecu-
liarity of the Southera States." Wb.

(for increase the rent), x 168. "Aland-
lord notitied his tenaat that he should rawehis rent.
'Thank you,' was the reply, ' I find it very hard to
raine it myself.' " r 36(3.

(for rise), n 79. " The price of flour is

raising.'' g 38.

Rake. " In England, to rake up the fire means
to cover it with ashes; here we u.se to rake up in the
sense of discovering, bringing to light." tt 530.

liau (for run). I .should have ran. u 81.

RARE. "In the sense of underdone, is not con-
sidered in good taste now, in England." tt 530, y 182.
"A use of the word 'rare' peculiar to America is
that so frequently heard at hotel dinner tables.
When Professor Freeman was asked by a Boston
waiter whether he would have his roast beef ' rare '
or well done, the learned historian was baffled. His
countrymen at home have no occasion for a word to
distinguish between two degrees of roasting. Their

RAILROAD READING. 16 Y

' well done ' is our ' rare,' and the only other epithet
known to them as applicable to a piece of roast
meat is 'spoiled.' "~N. C. Advocate. "This word is
in common use in the United States, but is not, at
present, in good use in England." Wl).

Rarely (for 7'are). It is rarely that I do this.
X 168.

(for exceedingly). " A Syracuse newspaper

reporter — probably a college student — closed his
account of a students' class supper with the remark
that 'the evening was rarely enjoyable.' A true
reading of this statement would not be complimen-
tary to the host; for the adverb ' rarely ' means ' sel-
dom' instead of "in a high degree,' There .is,
indeed, faint authority for giving to this word the
qualifying signification (see dictionary) but it must
in that case, attach directly to the verb of action,
and not modify another qualifier. Thus: ' he played
the flute rarely ' might, by sufferance, be understood
to mean that ' he played it finely,' though the sense
would have to be agreed upon beforehand, otherwi,se
the understanding wouki be that ' he rarely (seldom)
played.' " — N. G. Advocate.

Ratiocinate, a 141.

Readiuj»' (for rendering, which see). ''By the
way, that word Reading, in its critical use, always
charms me. An actresses's Reading of a chamber-
maid, a dancer's Reading of a hornpipe, a singer's
Reading of a song, a marine painter's Reading of the
sea, the kettle-drummer's Reading of an instrumen-

168 VERBAL PITFALLS.

tal passage, are phrases ever youihful junl elelight-
fxiV— Dickens, c 51. " But reading music with an
instrument or even with the voice is a verj' different
matter." aa 106.

Real (for very). Real nice, x 168.

Real Estate (for la7id). a 150.

Receive (without an object). "Sometimes used
elliptically." Wb.

Keckou (for conjecture, conclude), tt 530. " Pro-
vincial and vulgar." Wb.

Recollect Cor remember). " When we do not
remember what we wish to speak of. we try to
re-collect it." a 150. "That which lies in our
memory at hand, ready for use at any moment, we
remember; but we also really do remember much
that does not lie at hand, and this we try to recollect,
that is, to recollect. Therefore the expression, I
don't remember, but I will try to recollect, is not only
correct, ,but it sets forth a condition of mind
expressible in no other way." aa 414.

Recoiniueud (for invite), r 343, x 168.

Recompense (for compensate), v 257.
RECUPERATE (for recover), a 129. "Can in
no sense be said to belong to our language." y 181.
Not given by Wb. Rare. W.

Redaction. " A real acquisition to our language.
To work up literary matter and give it a presentable
form is neither compiling nor editing nor resetting;
and the action performed on it is exactly expressed
by redaction.'' v 310.

REAL — RELIABLE. 1^9

Kedolent (for i- dicative), c 51.

Referrible (for referable), y 213.

Regalia (for badges). '■ Applicable ouly to em-
blems of royalty." col.

REGRET (for regret .the want of). " I am per-
suaded that 110 person of honor or delicacy will
regret the amusement which might perhaps have
been purchased by treachery to the dead. "—Letters
of Sydney Smith, c 55.

Rehabilitate (for clothe), r 103, y 105, v 299.

Relation (for relative).

Reliable (for trusticorthy). a 230, tt 531, i 253,
X 168, X. See Desirability.

"The real difference between reliable and trust-
worthy is that the former applies more properly to
things, such as news, information, &c., and the lat-
ter to persons. But we should resist with all our
might the introduction of reliability." y 194.

"For choice and pith of language he belongs to a
better age than ours, and might rub shoulders with
Fuller and Browne, though he does use that abom-
inable word reliable." — J. B. Lowell, on Emerson.
Mr. Hall's book of 238 pages (dd) shows that the
word is countenanced by a host of writers, yet the
author says he has himself used the word but once
in eight thousand printed pages, c 52. Mr. Marsh
condemns it (w 135) twenty three pages after having
himself used it (w 112). See d 28. " It is ill formed,
and it cannot properly have the signification in
which it is always used." W. " A most convenient

170 A^ERBAL PITFALLS.

substitute for the phrase to be relied upon, and a use-
ful syuonym for trustioortliy." Wb.

RELIGION (for cult), v 172.

Religion {for piety). "There are many religions;
there is but one piety." a 151, r 250, tt 231. See also
i 238, ppp 33, pp 357.

Remains. " ' Here lies the remains of ' has been
justified [defended] on the ground that remains is
equivalent to ' remainder,' there being no such sin-
gular noun as a remain. But the defence is unques-
tionably wrong. The word remains is, and is
intended to be, plural, in signification as well as in
form." i 39.

Remit (for send, as of money), a 151.

Remorse. " There is nothing which is followed
in natures not absolutely devilish with so swift a
revulsion of mind as acts of cruelty. Nowhere [else]
does the conscience so quickly remord {bite back], if
one may use the word, the guilty actor, as in and
after these; and thus remorse, which is the penitence
of the natural man, the penitence not wrought by
the spirit of grace, while it means the revulsion of
the mind and conscience against any evil which has
been done, came to mean predominantly revulsion
against acts of cruelty, the pity which followed close
on these, and thus pity in general." p 178, a 31.

Rem ONER ATE (for reimburse), aa 433.

Rendered (for acted, played, sung), aa 493.

Rendition (for performance), r 103, x 199, X.

RELIGION RESIDENCE. 171

(for rendering), r 359. Here Mr. Mat-
thews seems to forget what he has said above. See
also X 169.

RENEWEDLY. "As repugnant to good sense
as to patience." tt 240. "Not supported by good
English usage." W.

Renaissance. "Another question-begging word. "
ppp 174.

Repair. " By saying ' Luther repaired to Rome,'
instead of 'Luther went (or journeyed) to Rome,'
we commit a blunder, sanctioned perhaps by pre-
scription, but none the less on that account a blun-
der; for to repair means to return home." s 89.

Replace (for displace or to supply the place of).
"Means properly to restore to its place." c 52. "We
are sorry to see that Prof. Rawlinson talks of
' replacing the Handbuch of Heeren by a manual
conceived on the same scale.' The vulgarism, 'to
replace A by B ' in the sense of ' to put B in the
place of A,' threatens soon to become as common as
those odious expressions, ' those sori oi things,' and
'lilce I do.' "—Athenceum, Nov. 26, 1870. i 37, y 104.

Repudiate (for reject), a 129, X. Defended, vv
95, 97.

Resent. " Why should we resent (feel again)
insults, and not affectionate words and deeds?" r 325,
s 58. Dr. South has the expression "resenting God's
favors" to denote gratitude, y 64, ppp 103.

Reside (for live), a 129, x 169.
Residence (for Iwme). a 129, x 169.

172 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Restive {fov frisky). " It means standing stub-
bornly still." a 152. "Any one now invited to
define a restive horse would certainly put into his
definition that it was one with too much motion." p
181, r 355, X 169, d 89.

Kesvirrect. "Our correspondent complains
that he has seen the word ' resurrect ' in The Sun.
If this be so, it was an error that we never noticed,
and we now take it baclc and are sorrj^ for it. In so
saying, we enjoy the high satisfaction which is
peculiar to one who is willing to confess his wrong."
— New York Sun.

Resurrected, a 229, aa 402, d 96. tt 654.
Defended, v 194.

Resurrectionized. a 411, aa 402. (Resur-
reciionised). Defended, v 194.

Retaliate. " Why should we not retaliate (that
is, pay back in kind, I'es, talis) kindnesses as well as
injuries?" r 325, y 63, ppp 103.

Reticence "means the ' quality (?) of holding
one's tongue,' and should be kept distinct from
reserve, a wider and less definite term, whose nearest
synonym perhaps is ' caution.' A reserved man may
on indifferent topics wax voluble enough, and a ret-
icent man need not in all ways be reserved. " c 54.

RETIRACY. "Irredeemable slang." tt 628.
"Rare." W., Wb.

RETIRE {for force to resign). X. Wb. gives this
meaning.

RESTIVE RIG.

1T3

Retire (for go to bed). "A vulgar, but unfor-
tunately very common euphemism." tt 533.

Retrograde. See Progress.

Revelate (for reveal), aa 403. " Obsolete." W.,
Wb.

Revelations (for Revelation). The last book of
the Bible), i 63. '

Reverend John Jones (for the Reverend John
Jones). "The article is absolutely required." a 153,
X 170, X.

Reverend (for reverent), i 119.

Reverse. " 'No doubt, if we could choose, many
of us in London would prefer that our visitors
should carry their boots in their hands and their
hats on their heads, rather than the reverse, espe-
cially upon a muddy day.' — Arnold. What is the
reverse? Is it carrying their hats in their hands and
their boots on their heads? Or their hands in their
boots, and their heads in their hats?' c 17.

Revolt (for are revolting to). Such things revolt
us. r 345.

Rewrite. Bej'ond criticism, v 60.

Ride. See Drive, tt 533, v 170.

Rig. " a somewhat vulgar word, with the pres-
ent use of which, however, we are probably all
familiar from its occurrence in John Qilpin:

' He little dreamt when he set out
Of ruunhig such a riij.' " p 182.

174 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Right (for appropriate). "A placard is to be seen
in a certain farmyard : ' There is a place for every
thing, and everything for a place. Any person
offending against these rules will be fined 2 d.' By-
the by, what are we to think of the phrase which
came in during the Crimean war, The right man in
the right place ? How can the right man be in the
wrong place, or the wrong man in the right place?
We used to illustrate the unfitness of things by say-
ing that the round man had got into the square hole,
and the square man into the round hole; that was
correct enough; but it was the putting incongruous
things together that was wrong, not the man, nor the
hole. This puts me in mind of the servant at school
once coming into the school-room in consequence of
some interchange of slippers, and calling out, ' Has
any gentleman got his wrong slippers ? ' Now if they
were his, they were not wrong; and if they were
wrong, they were not his." i 238. A valet reproved
for bringing two right shoes replied that he thought
it was but right to leave the left.

lligllt (for obligation). " 'The cars have as good
a right to be stopped as the carriages.' " a 195, x 170.

Ytiglit {for just). Right here, x 170.

Right away (for immediately). "Altogether
unjustifiable." a 418. "Long since ceased to be a
Boston provincialism, if it ever was one, and has
recently made its way to England also." tt 533, y
182. "U.S." W., Wb.

RIGHT — RUN. DOWN. 175

Rise up (for rise). He rose up and left the room.
zllO.

Risible (for laugliable). "Has never been accepted
English." vv73.

Risibilities. "In the plural form are [is] only-
heard in America." tt 534.

Rising" (for exceeding. A little rmn^r four quarts).
" Still considered low." tt 534. "Colloquial." W.,
Wb.

RISKY. "Unexceptionable in meaning, what-
ever purists may think of the form of the hybrid."
tt535. "U.S." W.,Wb.

Rock (for small stone), tt 535.

RODE (for ridden, participle), a 121. Allowed
by W.

Role (for part). X.

Romanesque (for romantic), aa 378.

ROOSTER (for cock), a 183, tt 262. " U. S.'
W., Wb.

Rotatory (for rotary), d 19.

Roughs. X.

Rowdies. X. "Low." W.

RUBBERS (for overshoes), tt 536, x 171. See
Gums. "U.S." Wb. Not given by W.

Rule high, or low (of price), aa 487.

Run. " Applied with reckless freedom to every
possible enterprise." tt 303, 325.

Run down, v 280.

Sabbath (for Simday). " Sunday is the name of
a day, while Sabbath is the name of an institution."
tt 537, V 292, X 171.

Salient (for assailable), s 86.

Saloon-parlor, aa 501, v 251.

Same. " ' Held the same opinions in'fh his illus
trious friend. '— Macaulay. Same expresses identity,
and therefore cannot be properly used in corre-
spondence to wit7i, which means nearness, contact,
and implies duality, severalness." a 406. "The
very mention of identity should have suggested
identical, which, a synonym of same, takes with, —
the preposition after one, also, another synonym of
same. And equal with was once as good as equal to.
The propriety of Mr. White's therefore in what he
says about same is one of the profound mysteries
with wliich his book abounds. Sometimes the same
as is preferable to the same with; but it is when a
conjunction is indispensable; and it is not because
of any particular relational import belonging to as.
Phrases, in many cases, must be accepted as wholes.
Lord jMacaulay disliked elipses; and as, instead of
witli, would necessitate one." v 303.

Sample (as a verb).

SABBATH — SCHOLAR. 177

Sample Room, a 154. tt 316.
Sanctuary, a 129.
Sanitarium (for sanatorium).

Sanitary (for sanotor^). ''Sanitary means ap-
pertaining to healtli; sanatory means appertaining
to healing or curing: " The town is in such a bad
sanitary condition, that some sanatory measures
must be undertaken.' " i 87. g40. Neither W. nor
Wb. gives sanatorixim. Wb. gives sanitarium.

Sat (for sitten). a 120, vv 65. Bitten, obsolete.
Wb.

Satisfyi.ng (sometimes ambiguous). " This play,
by the way. is one of the most satisfying on the
stiiuo. A ter seeing it once no one wants to see it
again." — New Orleans Picayune.

Saw (for have seen, with never). I never saw such
a thing before, x 171.

Scarcely. "Another misuse of than is making
it follow scarcely, hardly, in such sentences as ' I hud
scarcely addressed him than he knew me.' " c 122,
r364. jBwHs sometimes similarly misused. "Scarce
was Sylla dead, but (when) he put in for public
employment." m t^ 127.

Scholar (for pupil). " Webster gives as the first
meaning of scholar, 'one who attends a school; one
who learns of a teacher:' and he further makes
the distinction between scholar and pupil as
follows: 'A scholar is one who is nnder instruction;
a pupil is one who is under the immediate and per-

178 VERBAL PITFALLS.

sonal care of an instructor.' Scholar and pupil,
although subject to the distinction thus drawn by-
Webster, are, nevertheless, given by him as synony-
mous. In general conversation they are almost
universally used as interchangeable vrords. It
would be a reform in the use of the word if scholar
could be limited to learned persons, and pupil
limited to youths or others under instruction. But
authority is expressly against his view of the case."
— PubL'c Ledger, Phila.

School (for shoal of fishes), d 131. Local in
the United States and England. W.

Scientific, "for all that Ben Jonson, Qaule,
and Milton, with Thomas Taylor. Charles Lamb,
and Coleridge, in later times, have shown us the
right word, sciential,— ho\ds its ground, and is
likely to go on holding it." v 157.

SCIENTIST. "Intolerable." aa 468. "Avery
late and very useful neoterism." v 309. Not given
by Wb.

Scunner, a 257.

Secesh (for Confederate.) X. Colloquial. Wb.

SECTION (for neigMorhood). x 172. "A dist-
ant part of a country or people, community, class,
or the like." Wb.

Secure. "In our present English the difference
between safe and secure is hardly recognized, but
once it was otherwise. Secure was subjective; it was
a man's own sense, well grounded or not, of the

SCHOOL — SENSUOUS.

179

absence of danger; safe was objective, the actual fact
of such absence of danger." p 187. A man, there-
fore, might be secure, without being safe.

Seem (used superfluously. I can't seem to be
suited, tt 540.

Seem (for appear). " What seems is in the mind ;
what appears is external." — Graham, x 172.

Segar (for cigar), tt 540. More correctly writ-
ten cigar.'' W.

Seldom. " ' I have seldom, if ever, seen him,' is a
contracted form of 'I have seldom seen him, if,
indeed, I have ever seen him at all.' ' I have seldom
or never seen him,' on the other hand, stands for ' I
have seldom seen him, or, rather, I have never seen
him at all.' Each phrase has its own pecviliar mean-
ins, but ' seldom or ever,' and 'seldom zj never ' are
meaningless alike." c 121, r 351, i 234, x 172, z 122.

Semi-oceasionally. tt 630.

Sensation. X.

Sensual, \ ,> ggj^g^if^i [g employed now only in

Sensuous. \ ^ •'

an ill meaning, and implies ever a predominance of
sense in provinces where it ought not so to predomi-
nate. Milton, feeling that we wanted another word
affirming this predominance when no such fault was
implied by it, and that sensual only imperfectly
expressed this, employed, I know not whether he
coined, sensuous, a word which, if it had rooted
itself in the language, might have proved of excel-
lent service." p 188.

180 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Seraphim (for seraph), v 361. x 173.

Sergeant (for serjeant). The former is correct
for a military officer; the latter for a serjeant-atlmo.
y314.

Series {for period). "A long series of ill-health."
— e I 263.

Set (for sit), a 157, x 173, r 351, 361, n 78. " It
is said that the brilliant Irish lawyer, Curran, once
carelessly observed in court, ' An action tej^s,' and
the judee corrected him by remarking, ' Lies, Mr.
Curran, — hens lay; ' but subsequentlj' the judge
ordering a counsellor to '.s^^ down,' Curran retali-
ated, 'Sit down, your honor, — hens set.' " But hens
don't set, they sit.

Sepulture (for sepulchre), v 45.

Sett (for set). See Let.

Settle (for pay). ' 'Accounts may be settled that
is, they may be made clear and satisfactory, — as
the passenger wished his cup of coffee to be made
when he called upon the negro to take it to the cap-
tain's office and have it settled, — and yet they may
not be paid." a 191. tt 304. x 173.

Sewage (for seicerage). d 33.

8ewn {ioY sewed), z 110. " Rarely sew/i," Wb. \

Shall (for will), a 264, aa 331, r 366, vv 49, i 169,
zll9.

The nice distinctions that should be made between
these two auxiliaries are, in some parts of the En-
glish-speaking world, often disregarded, and that-

SERAPHIM SHALL AND WILL. 181

too, by persons of high culture. The proper use of
shall and will can much better be learned from exam-
ple than from precept. Many persons who use
them, and also should and would, with well nigh
unerring correctness, do so unconsciously; it is sim-
ply habit with them, and they, though their culture
may be limited, will receive a sort of verbal shock
from Biddy's inquiry, " Will I put the kettle on,
ma'm?" when your Irish or Scotch countess would
not be in the least disturbed by it.

Shall, in an affirmative sentence, in the first
person, and will in the second and third persons,
merely to announce future action. Thus, "I sJiall go
to town to-morrow." "I shall wait for better
weather. " " We shall be glad to see you. " "I shall
soon be twenty." " We shall set out early, and s/iall
try to arrive by noon." " You will be pleased."
"You will soon he twenty." "You will find him
honest." "He icill go with us."

Shall, in an affirmative sentence, in the second and
third person, announces the speaker's intention to
control. Thus, "You s/taW hear me out. " "You
shall go, sick or well." "He shall be my heir."
"They sJiall go, whether they want to go or not."

Will, in the first person, expresses a promise,
announces the speaker's intention to control, pro-
claims a determination. Thus, " I will [I promise to]
assist you." " I will [I am determined to] have my
right." " We will [we promise to] come to you in
the morning." ■

Shall, in an interrogative sentence, in the first and

182 VERBAL PITFALLS.

third person, consults the will or judgment of an-
other; in the second person, it inquires concerning
the intention or future action of another. Thus,
"/S/iaMI go with you?" " When shall we see you
again?" " When s7ia^^ I receive it?" "When shall
I get well?" " When shall we get there?" " Shall
he come with us ?" " Shall you demand indemnity ?"
"Shall you go to town to morrow ?" "What shall
you do about it?"

Will, in an interrogative sentence, in the second
person, asks concerning the wish, and, in the third
person, concerning the purpose or future action of
others. Thus, " TFi7? you have an apple?" "Will
you go with me to my uncle's?" " Will he be of the
party?" " Will they be willing to receive us?"
"When will he be here?"

Will cannot be used interrogatively in the first per-
son singular or plural. We cannot say, "Will I
go?" " Will I help jonr " Will I he laieV "Will
we get there in time?" "Will we see you again
soon?"

Official courtesy, in order to avoid the semblance
of compulsion, conveys its commands in the you-will
form instead of the strictly grammatical you shall
form. It says, for example, "You will proceed to
Key West, where you will find further instructions
awaiting you."

A clever writer on the use of shall and will says
that whatever concern's one's beliefs, hopes, fears,
likes, or dislikes, cannot be expressed in conjunction
w'lih I will. Are there no exceptions to this rule?

SHALL AND WILL. 183

If I say, " I think I shall go to Philadelphia tomor-
row," I convey the impression that my going
depends upon circumstances beyond my control;
but if I say I think I will go to Philadelphia to-mor-
row," I convey the impression that my going
depends upon circumstances within my control, —
that my going or not depends on mere inclination.
We certainly must say, "I fear that I shall lose it;"
"I hope that I shall be well ;" " I believe that I shall
have the ague;" "I hope that I shall not be left
alone;" "I fear that we «7;rt/niave bad weather;"
" 1 shall dislike the country;" "I shall like the per-
formance." The writer referred to, asks, " How
can one say, ' I will have the headache'?" I answer,
very easily, as every young women knows. Let us
see; "Mary, you know you promised John to drive
out with him to-morrow; how shall you get out of
it?" " Oh, I wiM have the headache !" We request
that people 'will do thus or so, and not that they
shall. Thus, " It is requested th;it no one loill leave
the room."

Shall is rarely, if ever, used for toill; it is loill that
is used for shall. Expressions like the following are
common : " Where \oiil you be next weekt ' ' I will
be at home." "We will have dinner at six o'clock."
"How- will you go about it?" "When will you
begin ? " " When will you set out ? " " What icill
you do with it ? " In all such expressions, when it
is a question of mere future action on the part of
the person speaking or spoken to, the auxiliary
must be shall and not icill.

184 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Should and would follow the regimeu of shall and
will. Would is often used for should; should rarely
for icould. Correct speakers say, ' ' 1 should go to
town to-morrow if I had a liorse." " I should not;
I should wait for better weather." "We should be
glad to see you." " We should have started earlier,
if the weather had been clear." " I should like to
go to town, and toould go if I could." "I would
assist you if I could." " I should have been ill if I
had gone." "1 loould 1 were home again!" "I
should go fishing to day if I were home." " I shoxdd
so like to go to Europe ? " "I should prefer to see it
first. " "I should be delighted. " ' ' I should be glad
to have you sup with me." "I knew that I should
be ill."' "1 feared that I sho^dd lose it." "I
hoped that I s^omW see him." "I thought that I
shotdd have the ague." "I hoped that I should not
be left alone." "I was afraid that we should have
bad weather." "I knew I shoidd dislike the coun-
try." "I should not like to do it, and icill not
[determination] unless compelled to." x 173.

" Now you shall have three ladies walk to gather
flowers, and then we must believe the stage to be a
garden. By and by we hear news of a ship- wreck
in the same place; then we are to blame if we
accept it not for a rock. On the back of that comes
out a hideous monster with fire and smoke, and
then the miserable beholders are bound to take it
for a cave ; while in the mean time two armies fly
in, represented with swords and bucklers; and then
what hard heart will not receive it for a pitched
field V " Sidney.

SHALL AND WILL. 1S5

As, besides Ibe general fault of prolixity and
indistinctness, this sentence contains several inaccu-
racies, I will be obliged to enter into a minute dis-
cussion of its structure and parts, Blair I 316.

A young men's Institute for Discussion on Self-
improvement is reported in a Scottish provincial
paper to have met and discussed the question,
" Shall the material universe be destroyed ? " i 176.

"The Edinburg Review denounces the distinction
of shall and will, by their neglect of which the
Scotch are so often betrayed, as one of the most
capricious and inconsistent of all imaginable irregu-
larities, and as at variance not less with original
etymology than with former usage. Prof. Marsh
regards it as a verbal quibble, which will soon dis-
appear from our language. It is a quibble, just as
any distinction is a quibble to persons who are too
dull, too lazy or too careless to comprehend it.
With as much propriety might the distinction be-
tween the indicative and subjunctive forms of the
verb, or the distinction hitiviae^a farther -ahA fur Iher,
strong and robust, empty and vacant, be pronounced
a verbal quibble. Sir Edmund W. Read has shown
that the difference is not one which has an exist-
ence only in the pedagogue's brain, but that it is as
real and legitimate as that between be and am, and
dates back as far as AVickliflfe and Chaucer, while
it has also the authority of Shakspere." r 371.

Shamefaced (for shamefast). a 230.

Sliay (for cAaise). tt 541. Vulgar. W. Wb.

Shiiiiiiiy (for shirt), x 176.

186 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Shire. "A universal pleonasm used by Ameri-
cans in speaking of the County of Berkshire, forget-
ful of the fact that skire (a share; means the same
thing as county. " tt 254.

Shoe-horu (for slioeing-lwrn). a 232.

Shore (for sheared). "I should be rather sur-
prised to hear anything but shore in England " v 139.
Should. See Shall.
Shove. "Not very elegant vrord." y 16.
Show, preferable to sheio. z, i 40.

Shrewd. "The weakness of the world's moral
indignation against evil causes a multitude
of words which once conveyed intensest moral
reprobation gradually to convey none at all, or it
may be even praise. Shrewd and slirewdness must
be classed among these." p 191.

Shut to (for shut), tt 633.

Shut too (for shut to), i 35.

Sick. See III. tt 543.

Signature. "A man's signature, we are told, is
at the bottom of his letter, and therefore he writes
o»e7' his signature ! But— answering a precisian ac-
cording to his preciseuess — the signature was not
there when the man wrote the letter: it was added
afterward. How, then, was the letter written over
the signature? This is the very lunacy of literalism.
A man writes under a signature, whether the signa-
ture is at the top, or the bottom, or the middle of
his letter, "—a 190. x 177.

SHIRE SMUG.

187

Silly " Has successively meant (1) blessed, i^i) in-
nocent, (3) harmless, (4) weakly, foolish." p 192.
ppp 118.

Since. Must be followed by the perfect tense,
not the past; as when Dr. Johnson says: "Authors
who wrote since the accession of Elizabeth." v 9,
xl78.

{for ar/o). -'Since is often used for ago,

but ago never for since." x 178.

SiKNAME (for surname), y 214, r 318, ppp 369.

Sis. Not an abbreviation of sister, a 230.

Sit on (for sit in, as a member of). "In this
year Governor Randolph was to be chosen to sit on
the Legislature, but IMr. Jefferson was long violently
opposed to such a plan."— Tucker's Life of Jeffer-
son, I, 319. tt 253. See On.

SLAB-SIDED. "Applied to persons of unreliable
character; taken from slabs, outside pieces of timber
which occasionally serve to make country bridges
of a peculiarly unstable and unsafe character." tt
544. Not given by W.

Slick (for sleek), pp 201.

Slim. Correctly applied to attendance, excuse.
sl84.

Small pox. See Alms.

Smell of (formed), x 196.

Smug. "It still means adorned, but seeks to pre-
sent the very adornment and smoothness which it

188 VERBAL PITFALLS.

implies in a ridiculous, ignoble point of view." p
193.

Snob. " Thackeray immortalized snob in his cel-
ebrated " papers "; and though the word is not to be
recommended, it must be allowed that it is very ex-
pressive." y 177.

So(for«s). See As. tt648. "And the breath of
the people is like the voice of an exterminating
angle, not so killing but so secret " — Jermy Taylor.

That is, in such wise. It would be well to note
after what time as became the correlatives to so,
and even, as in this instance, the preferable sub-
stitute. We should have written as in both places,
probably, but at all events in the latter, transplac-
ing the sentences as secret though not so killing ; or
not so killing but quite as secret. Coleridge v. 141.

So inucli so. The shipments are large, so
much so as to tax the capacity of the various lines.
X 179.

SociAHhK {for social). "The meaning of sociable
is fitted for society, ready for companionship, quick
to unite with others— generally for pleasure. *S6>-
cial expresses rather the relations of men in society,
communities or commonwealths." a 161.

SoLEMiNZE. " Now sanctioned by the best ora-
tors." tt240.

Solidarity, y 105. Solidity, one old word to de-
note the idea which it conveys, could never, from
its ambiguity, find general entertainment." v 310
pp 122.

SNOB SPONTANEOUS. 189

Some (for aSo!/):, -'some five miles.") "It would
be difficult to find in any tongue another word or
phrase which has such simplicity of origin and
structure, and such length of authorative usage in
its support, as this." a 257.

(for somewhat). Some better, to-day. x 180.

Somebody else's. See Anybody else's.

Soniewlieres (for some where), d 25

Sort. See Kind on 74.

Sparrowgrass. v 161. "A corruption of As-
paragus. " W.

Spare (for grant, vouchsafe). " Mr. Macaulay
might have spared (vouchsafed) a passing eulogy to
those illustratrious philosophers and inventors," N.
Brit. Rev. x 389, a 55.

Special. "A much overworked word." a 162.

Speciality. | rpj^^ gucrorestion that they should
Specl-vlty S °° •'

be used discriminatively is worthy of consideration,
aa 477, x 180.

Specious fallacy, x 180.

Spinster. A name that was often applied to
women of evil life, in that they were set the en-
forced labor of spinning." p 197.

Splendid. "The use of splendid to express
great elegance, is coarse." a 163, x 180.

Spleuclidious. f 153. Obsolete W. Wb.

SPONTANEOUS (for voluntary). The falsity of
the notion that makes sjwntaneous and voluntary

190 VERBAL PITFALI-S,

synonyms would be instantly recognized, did we
speak of " voluntary combustion." c 55.

Spoonsful (for spoonfuls), i 28, n 63, r 364.
Stampede. " Can in no sense be said to belong
to our language.'' y 181.

Stand upon (for insist upon), aa 499.
Stand-point (for point-of-view). a 331, 443, d 34,

V 289, X 180, X, y 49. "No doubt an improvement
on point-of-view, as being a closer and therefore more
convenient expression." y 49.

Start (for set out). X.

Starvation. "It is said that Mr. Dundas, after-
ward Lord Melville, got his nickname from a new
word which he introduced in a speech in the House
of Commons, in 1775, on the American War. He was
the first to use the word starvation (a hybrid forma-
tion, in which a Saxon root was united with a Latin
ending), and was ever afterwards called ' Starvation
Dundas! ' " r 276, s 53, tt 552, y 51, v 279.

State (for say), a 163, X.

Stickler. " Slightly contemptuous term." f 124.

Store (for the English sho])). tt 302.

Stopping (for staying). At what hotel are you
stopping? "'If you come vd any time within ten
miles of my house, just stop. ' " r 359, d 73, tt 554, x
181. Colloquial. Wb.

STORM (for rain). "A stm-m is a tumult, a com-
motion of the elements; but rain may fall as gently

SPOONSFUL SUICIDE. 191

as mercy." a 163, x 181. "Often a fall of rain or
snow." Wb.

Story (for storey, as the landing of a house),
y 214.

Straightavay. Better than immediately, x 181.

Strategic (for stratagatie) d 33.

Strum. "Strum or thrum should be used, and
not drum, where the noisy and unskillful fingering
of a musical instrument is meant." g 43.

Stiipendious (for siupendotis) . Milton used
this form, but it is still a cockneyism. DeFoe wrote
stupenduous. v 160.

Subjunctive Mood, n 79. See i 211.

Subside. As applied to persons is a modern
slang term, expressive of their giving up, or at least
beginning silent. " Therefore the doughty General
subsided."

Sul)straction (for subtraction), v. 119. Only
in the sense of the withdrawing or withholding
of some right. W. Wb,

Succeed (for give success). " If Providence suc-
ceed us." r 365.

Such (for so). Such a high spire, r 353 x 190.
" Suc7i an exti'avaga?d young man," for so extrava-
gant a young man. z 122.

Suicide (as a verb). "Its inadmissability de-
pends not upon its noun form, but upon its mean-
ing." na 310, It 555.

192 VERBAL PITFALLS.

"I wonder what kind of an event an vnsuccess-
ful suicide is. " aa 41 1 .

Summarize. "Frequently met with in the writ-
ings of good authors." tt 240, Hare. W. Wb.

Summons (for mmmon, verb) x 190, n 113. Rare
W. Wb.

Summons. See Alms. But see i 31 tt 555.

SUNG (for sang, preterite), x 179. Obsolescent
Wb. W.

SuPERVise (for oversee), a 129.

Supersede often wrongly spelled supercede c 55.

Superior (for able, mrtuous). See Inferior.

Superlative (for comparative degree, in speaking
of two). " Superfluous as this dual form may be.
neglect of it is contrary to established usage." c 73,
r 352. But see Last.

Suppositious (for imaginary), x 191.

Sure (for surely). "A mere affirmative ex-
pletive." tt639.

Surname. " From the French surnom, me&nmg
additional name, and should not, therefore, be
spelled sirname, as if it meant the name of one's
sire." r313.

Sustain (for suffer), i 251.

Sweat of his brow (for sweat of Ms face). Genesis
III, 19). d 108.

Swell (as a noun.) "A very convenient and ex-

SUMMARIZE — SYNONYMOUS. 193

pressive word, used now by the best speakers of
English without hesitation." aa 485.

SYMPATHY WITH (for sympathy for), vv. 19.
Sympathy when synoj^omous with commiseration
"is commonly followed hj for; the verb sympathize
is followed by with.'" Wb.

Synonynioiis (for identical) "Our interest in
Persia is synonymous with that of the Persians."
— A. Arnold, c 55.

Table-board, aa 418.

Taboo. X.

Take in (for fZw;)e). v 125. Vulgar. W., Wb,

Take it (for understand if), aa 499. See i 230.

Take {ior have, as of food). "The verb to take
is open to the being considered a vulgar verb when
used in reference to dinner, tea, or general refresh-
ments. ' "Will you take some tea? ' ' Will you take
some mutton?' 'Will you take some soup?' In
fact, any request which has in its object the fortify-
ing of the inner man, if prefaced by 'Will you take,'
is not considered to be comme il faut, the verb in
favor for the offering of these civilities being the
verb to have. Why the one verb should be in
fashion, and the other out of favor, is not difficult
of comprehension ; and society may be congratulated
upon its insistance on having the right verb in the
right place, providing that the verb to take be taken
to mean 'to seize what is not given,' 'to catch by
surprise or urtitice,' ' to lay hold on,' ' to snatch, to
seize, or to get hold of a thing in almost any way,'
leaving out of the question any other application
of this verb; while the verb to have, when used in
this sense, must be taken to mean 'to obtain, to
euj<)3', to possess : ' thus all enjoyment would

TABLE BOARD — TASTE OF. 195-

appear to be derived through the verb to take." —
Society Small Talk, 317.

Talent (for talents, as a man of talent), v 61,
ppp 114, X.

Talented. "I regret to see that vile and barba-
rous vocable talented stealing out of the newspapers
into the leading reviews and most respectable pub-
lications of the day. Why not shillinged,fartMnged,
tenpenced, etc. ? The formation of a passive partici-
ple from a noun is a license that nothiug but a very
peculiar felicity can excuse." h — , i 109, X. On
the other hand, see v 61-76, c 57, tt557, y 193, v 70.
"Still it were well that, before employing talented,
we should first consider whether clever would not
serve our turn as well or better. " c 57. See Desira-
bility.

Tall (for extravagant), y 180.

Talk (for speak). ' 'A child may be able to speak,
that is, to say mamma and papa, but not to to?A;,that
is, to put words together intelligently." aa 407.
We speak French, but talk is not tracsitive.

Tangenti a l (for tangental). a 317. But see vv 68.
Tapib. X.

Takpaulin. " Not any longer used except in the
case of the shorter form of tar for sailor." p 206.
Dean Trench undoubtedly means, " Not any longer
used for^sailor except in the shorter form of tar. "

Taste of (for taste), x 196. So of smell.

196 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Tasty. "Shall we &&y tasty? A milliner, as
Coleridge remarks, might." f 251.

Tea. ' ' In English and German, the word tea has,
within the last couple of centuries, arbitrarily taken
the place of decoction, as in the forms beef tea, etc."
s 224, tt 395. " Tea is no less or more than tea; and
while we call strong broth beef-tea, or a decoction of
cammomile flowers cammomile tea, we cannot con-
sistently laugh at Biddy when she asks whether we
will have tay tay or coffee tay" a 163.

Team. Unsettled whether it includes the vehicle,
r 254.

Technique, aa 493.

Technology. "For tenrdnoloyy, should also be
mentioned as an ignorant Gallicism which seems to
be creeping into use." v 175.

Teetb-aclie {lov toothache). So " white- teethed
maids." — Howells. "A noun used as an adjective
expresses an abstract idea, and when by the intro-
duction of the plural form this idea is broken up
into a collective multitude of individuals, it falls
ludicrously into concrete ruin." a 189.

Telegrapher (for telegraphist), a 215. But
see vv 59.

Telegram. "Used first by the editor of the
Albany /omw(Z, April 6, 1852." tt559. "Telegraph
is equally good as a verb expressing the act of writ-
ing, and as a noun expressing the thing written.
* * In monograph, epigraph, and paragraph the
last syllable represents ypdqir}, — a writing; in

TASTY TENOR.

197

monogram, epigram, and diagram, the last syllable
represents ypd/nna, = an engraved character, a
letter." But see vv 41, 46, a 233. "There were
plenty of faults pointed out in its structure, and
plenty of substitutes proposed for it by the fault-
finders. Several of the substitutes were doubtless
better and more correctly formed; but. in the words
of the old epitaph, 'physicians was in vain'; the
term was made, launched, accepted, adopted." s
173, y 201, tt 557. "And then there is, as against
the exact, but surfeiting, telegrapheme, our lawless
telegram, to which is strictly applicable the maxim
of the civilians as regards a clandestine marriage:
'Fieri non debuit, sed, factum, valet.' " v 158.

Tell. Properly to co?<;i«. " The accurate meta-
phor is to tell a tale, from the act of counting a num-
ber; in which sense the Boolv of Exodus mentions
that the Israelites were compelled to deliver their
tale of bricks." So in ^intold gold, ihe mm twice-
told; and hence to toll a bell, and nine tailors (tellers,
strokes of the bell, three for a child, six for a
woman, nine for a man) make a man. s 70-73.
For 1 can't tell, meaning I don't know, see tt 641.

Tempeh. "Used by Americans in the majority of
cases to denote passion, while in England it ex-
presses, on the contrary, the control of passion." tt
559.

Tenor (for tenour). " With the u means contin-
ity of state, but without it, signifies a certain clef in
music." bb 49.

19S VERBAL PITFALLS.

Term (for clause). Used of language, signifies
not a clause but a word, i 196.

Test, v 300.

Than (as a preposition). "Prof. Bain defends
'the use of me, him, after the conjunction than, in
whose favor there is the authority of an extensive,
if not predominating, usage: ' She was neither
better nor wiser than you or me.' — Thackeray.
Universal usage could hardly, it seems to us, justify
this departure from a general rule, such departure
being always unnecessary, and often leading to
serious ambiguity. Once admit it. and how can you
decide whether ' You know him better than me '
means ' You know him better than you know me,'
or you know him better than I do ? ' " c 160, x 197.
Alford, relying mainly upon than whom, as an illus-
tration, than who being intolerable, defends the
objective, and says that than me is curiously con-
firmative of what has been sometimes observed,
that men in ordinary converse shrink, in certain
cases, from the use of the bare nominative of the
personal pronoun, i 153, 199. But see bb 94.
See As.

Tlian (for when). ''The English Admiral was
hardly in the Channel than he was driven * * ."
Froude a 49.

See Prefer, Scarcely. "In modern usage,
than is used only after comparatives, to introduce
the standard of comparison." c 123, y 206.

Thanks (for thanic you). In questionable taste.

TEEM TPIAT. 199

X 200. A fashion has come in in regard to the good
old phrase, Thank you, which is now abreviated to
Thanks. This is fashionable just now, but it can-
not be called cordial or grammatical. It is as if
you did your politeness up in a ball and threw it at
the head of your friend. No one is hurt by a
cordial Thank you.

■ That (for icho, or which). " Who or which con-
nect two coordinate sentences, tlint being ' the proper
restrictive, explicative, limiting or defining relative,
the relative of the adjective sentence.' c 7S). Thus
' There were very few passengers, who escaped with-
out serious injury,' means that all the passengers
were saved. ' There were very few passengers
that escaped without serious injury,' means that
nearly all were either lo.si or injured." c 79, m 69,
pp 335, X 200. "There are cases iu which tluit is
properly used when applied to persons, instead of
wJlo : 1st, when it fol'.ows the interrogative wlto, or
an adjective in the superlative degree; as, 'Who
that has any sense of right would reason thus ? '
' He was the oldest person tJbat I saw.' 2d, When
it follows the pronominal adjective same; as, 'He
was the same man that I saw before.' 3d, When
persons make but a part of the antecedent ; as
'The man and things tliat he mentioned.' 4lh,
After an antecedent introduced by the expletive it;
as 'It was I, not he, that did it." W. "If the
relative clause simply conveys an additional idea,
and is not properly explanatory or restrictive, who
or which (not that) is employed." Wb.

200 VERBAL IMIFALLS.

This distinctiou in tlie use of that as a restrictive
is comparatively modern. Blair (Lecture xx) cen-
sures Addison for saying "A man of a polite
imagination is let into a great many pleasures that
the vulgar are not capable of receiving," saying,
" In some cases we are indeed obliged to use that
for a relative in order to avoid the ungraceful repeti-
tion of which in the same sentence. But when we
are laid under no necessity of this kind, which is
always the preferable word."

(for as). " In the same sense that I have

considered it." v 257.

(for such, so). ' ' To tJiat degree as was

never known." v 257, x 206.

(for this). " This and these refer to per

sons and things present, or under immediate con-
sideration ; that and there to persons or things not
present, or not under immediate consideration ; or
if either of these, one degree further removed than
the others of which are used this and there. * *
I have a Scottish friend who always designates the
book which he has in his hand ?iS that book; the
portfolio he is turning over as those drawings. We
have this usage in England, but it carries another
meaning. If I have a book in my hand, and say
' 2'hat book will make a great sensation,' I mean to
remove my own and my hearers attention from the
particular volume, or even the present consideration
of its contents, and to describe it in its general, and
as it were historical, affect on the world." i 78.

THAT THEN. 20l

(the conjunction too often omitted), d 70.

"One would say, " I told him I had called on Gen-
eral Taylor," omitting the conjunction, tJiat before
the second member of the period; but if we em-
ployed Romance words, we should more probably
retain the conjunction, as, "I informed him that I
had paid my respects to the President." w 163.

THIS MUCH ' C '^ believe both expressions to
be correct; not so elegant perhaps as thus much, but
at the same time more fitted for colloquial use.''
i 82. So of this high, that tall. ' ' There is one use
of <Aai which is indefensible; when it is used as a
qualifying word with adjectives not denoting extent,

and when itself must be explained by to that extent."
i 83.

The (omitted after either and or). "Result is
not only slovenly English, but actual confusion."
aa 413. Omitted before adjectives, x 306.

The day (for to-day), i 79.

Their (after a singular). "But if a customer
wishes you to injure their foot or to disfigure it, you
are to refuse their pleasure." Ruskin. His is the
representative pronoun, as mankind includes both
men and women. To use "his or her " in cases of
this kind seems to me very finical and pedantic'
aa 416, 431.

Then (as an adjective). The then king, r 348,
X 207. "Often used elliptically, like an adjective,
for the <A«n existing." VVb. "To have enabled

202 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Scott or his friends to bear his then condition."
— Shairp.

Thereafter (for thenceforth), vv 109.

Thews. " It is a remarkable evidence of the in-
fluence of Shakspere upon the English language,
that while, so far as yet has been observed, every
other writer, one single instance excepted, employs
th^ws in the sense of manners, qualities of mind and
disposition, the fact that, as often as he employs it,
it is in the sense of nerves, muscular vigor, has
quite overborne the other use; which once so famil-
iar in our literature, has now passed away." p 207,
qll7.

Think foi" (for think). You will find he knows
more than yon think for. x 207, n 90.

This much (for thus much by way of apology).

This twenty years (for these twenty years).
z 120.

Thither (for there). See Whither.

Those people (for that 'people or those inhabi-
tants), z 114.
Those sort of things. See Kind, x 207.

Those w^ho (for they that). " That and those, as
demonstrative adjectives, refer backward, and are
not therefore well suited for forward reference."
Bain, x 208.

Thunderstruck. "Our language seems to have
nearly established a difference between the two
forms thunder struck and thunder stricken, using the

THEREAFTER TORTUOUS. 208

latter to express the actual sense of blasting, which
the former, now meaning only great surprise, is no
longer able to convey. " s 120,

Tide (formerly used for hour, and vice versa).
a 235, y 207.

Till. " It seemed long till that foolish voice was
stilled." — Howell. "So this barbarous use of till
peculiar to the West." vv 107.

Tiresome (for ^i'n/i^'). "A foVesome journey." y
182.

To. "Equally remarkable is the^vord to as a
kind of expletive, the infinitive of the verb that
might follow it being universally omitted," as I
meant to ask him to, would you like to ? tt 560, x
209.

To (for at; especially in to home and after to be).
tt 560, X 209.

To (for toward). " Assuming an attitude to him."
Fronde, a 50,

To (separated from the infinitive). See Infini-
tive. X 209.

To the muzzle (of loaded guns), d 95.

Together (superfluous). We conversed together.

3 118.

Tongue (for language), x 198.

Tortiiou.s (for torturous). "Here is a Massa-
chusetts lawyer speaking of 'unjust and tortuous
legislation.' The context clearly shows that torturous
was the word he designed to use, though probably

204 VERBAL PITFALLS.

he has never noticed that these are two words of
entirely distinct origin and widely different mean-
ing."— iV. C. Advocate.

Total. See Complete.

Toward. See Forward, x 209. " The double
forms, toward and towards, which occur in King
James's Bible, are explained in the same way, as
also the employment or omission of the final s in
other words of the same ending in other English
books of that century. It should, however, be here
remarked that in all the words ending in — ward
which are used in the first editions of that transla-
tion, with the exception of towards and afterwards,
the s is constantly omitted, according to what seems
to be the fashionable modern usage; althfmgh, as I
think, the s final ought to be retained in employing
words with this ending as adverbs and prepositions,
and dropped when they serve as adjectives." w431.

Tradition. ' ' Webster in his dictionary actually
limits its sense to oral communication tcitJiout written
memorials, a limitation the strict accuracy of which
is, however, disproved, strangely enough by the
very instance he quotes in its support : ' Stand fast,
and hold the traditions which you have been taught,
whether by word, or an epistle' (2 Thess. ii. 15)."
s52.

Tramp (as a noun), d 129.

Transpire (for take place.) " So I find it said in
a prominent New York newspaper, that ' the Mexi-
can war <ra««^Ve{? in 1847.' The writer might as

TOTAL TRIALS. 205

well — aad, considering the latitude ia which the
battles were fought, might better — have said that
the Mexican war perspired in 1847. There is a very
simple test of the correct use of transpire. If the
phrase take place can be substituted for it, and the
intended meaning of the sentence is preserved, its
use is unquestionably wrong; if the other colloquial
phrase, leak out, can be put in its place, its use is
correct." a 166, aa 393, x 210. In its etymology
the word anecdote ("not given out") has the same
restriction, r 289. "John Randolph, of Virginia,
had a very tender ear for good English, and when,
one day, a Member of Congress used the word tran-
spire repeatedly, and always in the sense of occur-
ing or taking place, he bore it for a time, but finally
lost all patience: 'May I interrupt the gentleman a
moment? ' he asked. ' Certainly,' said the speaker
* Well,' said Randolph, ' if you use the word <?■««.-
spire once more, I shall expire.' " tt 562. "This
use of it has been censured by both English and
American writers." W.

Transpike (for sweat). "For the arrival of
which you have been praying, trembling, hoping,

despairing, sic , (I beg your pardon, I believe

the word is not used in good society), and transpiring,
for the last hour." — Thackeray. " Manner is the
constant transpiration oi character." — Mackintosh.

Treat (or treat of dk subject). Indifferent, i 116.

TRIALS (for afflictions, by an irreligious man),
a 62.

206 VEKBAL PITFALLS.

Trifling minuti^. r 359, x 210.

Trooping (of a boy). " ' Trooping like a colt.' —
Irving." This reminds Mr. Blackley of the Irish
soldier who captured three prisoners by surrounding
them, s 106.

Truism (for truth). " A truism is a self-evident
truth; a truth, not merely the truth in the form of a
true assertion of fact. Thus: the sun is bright, is
not a truism: it is a self-evident fact, but not a self-
evident <r««7t." a 169.

TRIUMPHANT (for triumplial). Obsolete and
rare. Wb.

Try (for make). Try an experiment, r 349, x 211.

Try aud (for try to), r 365, d 113, bb 168.

Tuition. "One defends another most effectually
who imparts to him those principles and that knowl-
edge whereby he shall be able to defend himself;
and therefore our modern use of tuition as teaching
is a deeper one than the earlier, which made it to
mean external rather than internal protection." p 213.

Ugly (for ill-tempered), r 362. " H. Reeves states
that a British traveller, walking one day in the sub-
urbs of Boston, saw a woman on a doorstep whip-
ping a screaming child. 'Good woman', said he,
'why do you whip the boy so severely?' She
answered, 'Because he is so ugly.' The Englishman
walked on, and put down in his journal: Mem.
American mothers are so cruel as to whip their chil-
dren because they are not handsome." tt 563, x 211.

Ult. (for last month), a 169.

Ultroueous (for wluntary). c 57. Obsolete,
W., Wb.
Un- See In-.

Uncreditable. v 260. Obsolete. W. Wb.
UNBEKNOWN, x 211. Colloquial. Wb.
Underhanded (for underJiand). r 357, x 211, d 19.
Underneath (for beneath), d 25.

Unclisprivacied. "It is good English, but
not because Mr. Lowell used it." a 407. But Mr.
Hall protests against it " explicitly and emphatic-
ally." V 193.

Unexceptionably (for unexceptionally). " These
observations are not to be considered as unexception-
ably constant, but as containing general or predom-

208 VERBAL PITFALLS.

inant truth." — Dr. Johnson, v 201. The form
' ' unexceptio7iaUy " is not given by either W. or Wb.

Union. "The Elder Pliny tells us that the name
unio had not very long before his time begun to be
given [cf is being done] to a pearl in which all chief -
est [?j excellencies, size, roundness, smoothness,
vfhiteuess, weight, met and, so to speak were united;
and as late as Jeremy Taylor the word union was
often employed by our best writers in this sense,
namely that of a pearl of rare and transcendent
beauty." p 218.

Unique (for beautiful). " A thing is unique
when it is the only one of its kind, whether it is
good or bad, ugly or beautiful." aa 375.

Universal. See All. x 211.

Universe (for world), d 93.

Unprincipled. " Too firmly established in Eng-
lish to admit of challenge." c 56.

UNmp^^ ["JoHHsoN sanctions the use of the

negative prefix of these two words, but Richardson
and Webster condemn it as superfluous. Walton
in his Angler, tells an amusing anedcdote touching
the two words. We heard, he says, a high
contention among the beggars, whether it was easi-
est to rip a cloak or tinrip a cloak. One beggar af-
firmed it was all one; but that was denied by ask-
ing her, if doing and undoing were all one. Then
another said 'twas easiest to unrip a cloak, for that
was to let it alone ; but she was answered by asking

UNION USE.

209

how she could unrip it, if she let it aloue." r 324.
"Fuller evea employs the verb to ungray hair in the
sense of to pull out gray hairs." y 155.

UNREADABLE (for illegible), ppp 299. Al-
lowed by W.

Unvalued. '"This and unvaluable have been
usefully desynonymized ; so that invaluable means
now having a value greater than can be estimated,
unvalued esteemed to have no value at all " p
219.

Unwell. •' To say truth, in the vernacular lan-
guage of England, umoell is not commonly employ-
ed, except between men, in the general sense of
indisposed. Women avoid it, unless talking among
themselves; and then they use it for the most part
euphemistically." v 125. See remarks on another
word. tt.

Up (as a verb). " Tips and tells me all." tt 563.

Upward of (for nrrre than), x 211,

Use. " We find rather curious combinations. I
didn't use, I hadn't med, I wasnt used. This latter
would be legitimate enough if the verb were used to,
meaning accustomed by use to. We may say, I
wasn't used to the practice. But it will be plain that
it is a different meaning of which I am now speak-
ing. A friend tells me that in his part of the world
the people say didn't used to teas; and a midland
correspondant in his town, even in good society.
used to could. If you ask me what we are to say in
this case, I must reply that I can answer very well

210 VERBAL PITFALLS.

on paper, but not so well for the purposes of com-
mon talk. liised not to see him at my uncle's, does
not convey the idea that it was not your habit to
meet him there. It rather means that he was there,
but that for some unexplained reason you did not
see him. You meant to express something which
it was your practice not to da, but something which
it was not your practice to do. I never used is better,
but it may be too strong. I am afraid there is no
refuge but in the inelegant word needn't, to which I
suppose most of us have many times been driven."
1238.

Used to be. tt 646.

Utter (for per/ecO. a 170. " We can say wWer
discord, but not utter concord. " x 311.

(ioxsay). x 211.

Uttermost (for innermost). "Penetrated the
uttermost recesses."— Landor. c 22.

Vast (for large), x 212.

Vengeance (for revenge). "Vengeance{^\ih. the
verb to avenge) should never be ascribed save to God,
or to men acting as the executors of his righteous
doom." ppp 296.

VENTILATE (for bring into discussion). Defend-
ed, a 171. See Desirability. tt564. Obsolete. W.

Veracity (for truth.) "These two points have
nothing more to do with the veracity of the Christian
religion than chemistry." — Dr. Scott, c 60. '•Verac-
ity is merely an anglicized Latin synonym of truth-
fulness. Truth and veracity is a weak pleonasm.
But veracity is properly applied to persons, truth to
things. A story is or is not true, a man is or is
not veracious — if truthful is too plain a word." a
171, X 212.

Verandah (for porcli). r 108.

Verbal (for oral). "To this very phrase, 'by
roo7'd of mouth,' we may perhaps ascribe the error
of using verbal for oral. So in Moore's Life of Byron,
p. 3, there is quoted a letter from the Earl of
Shrewsbury, who speaks of ' good reasons that I can
tell you when we meet, jitter for tcords tJian writing, '
as if one could write, any more than speak, without
words." c 57.

212 VKRB.lL PITFALLS.

VERBALS (without 's) " 'Poor livings in the dio-
cese of Oxford are a scandal, but Mr. Disraeli prescrib-
ing polity and dictating the doctrines of the Church
of England are [is] a greater.' Here are would have
been right, had the reviewer written 'Mr. Disraeli's.'
One man's actions may be more than one, i. e., plu-
ral, but the man himself cannot be so." c 135.

Verity (for truth), v 103.

Very. " In the third edition of Professor Maxi-
milian MiiUer's Lectures on the Science of Language
we are informed that ' in fact, very pleased and very
delighted are Americanisms which may be heard
even in this country.' * * The phrases just named
become however in Professor Mliller's fourth edi-
tion simply ' expressions which may be heard in
many drawing rooms.' * * And there they were
heard, without question, four or five centuries ago."
v 54. "Before participles, very is followed by much,
or, more rarely, by some nearly equivalent adverb."
Wb.

" This very small word is very often used in the
English language when a sentence would be very
much stronger and the meaning very much more
forcible without it. If a man has not much hair on
the top of his head, it is not enough for people to
say simply that he is bald, but he is very bald. A
man is not stingy, but he is very stingy, when the
one good strong word ' stingy ' would put the whole
point forcibly. A doctor of divinity is not learned,
but very learned; a doctor of medicine is not crotch-
ety, he is very crotchety, while a lawyer is not cun-

VEKBALS VERY. 213

nine, but very cunning. In the same way, a young
lady is not handsome, but very handsome. The
qualifier has become so common that it is weakening
to the word it is joined to. In nine.cases out of ten
where very is used to intensify human speech, a sin-
gle, bold word without the very would hit the mean-
ing like a hammer, and drive it home with a
directness unknown to clogged and hampered
expression.

" 'Very seems to be a word designed by provi-
dence for young ladies to express their feelings with.
This portion of the community probably could not
get on without their adverb, but the English of the
rest of the race would be strengthened if the little
qualifier were delegated almost wholly to the fair
class to whom it belongs. It creeps into our litera-
ture as insidiously as the measles into a family of
fifteen, and, once there, it stays like an office-seeker,
It breaks out everywhere, even in the most nigh
toned and ' cultivated ' writing. A newspaper,
which is authority on the art of literary composition
prints, for instance, a thrilling description of a bril
liant party . Every lady present was very much this
or that. Mrs. Blank, who was a very intimate
friend of Mrs. General Dash, wore a very handsome
green satin dress, and had a very handsome silver
comb in her back hair, Mrs. General Dash wore an
exceedingly becoming dress, which was very elabo-
rately made. Two young ladies, whose dresses
were exceedingly becoming and very graceful, were
accompanied by a young man who had a very light

214 VERBAL PITFALLS.

moustache. Everybody was either 'very,' or 'ex-
ceedingly,' or 'most highly' something. The air
bristled with superlatives.

"It combines instruction with amusement to
count the ' veries ' in a column of newspaper adver-
tisements. A ' general housework ' applicant is not
content with being a respectable woman and a good
cook. She is a very respectable woman and a very
good cook. It is enough, in all conscience, to be
said of a woman that she is a superior waitress.
Superior itself means better than good, but this
uncommon waitress tacks on the word 'very,' too,
and thus becomes very better than good.

" The climax of veriness is reached, however, by
a girl. She is ' a very competent cook, understands
waiting at table in a very efficient manner, and is in
all respects very lirst-class.' 'In all respects very
first'class qualifications' is good. It is only equalled
by the young man who was a very perfect horseman
and rode a very black horse. A fine example, too,
of the redundant ' very ' is the reply of the old tar
who was blown overboard at Trafalgar, and rescued
with much difficulty, and who, long afterwards,
being asked by a sympathetic lady how he felt on
that occasion, answered: ' Wet, ma'am, very wet.' "
— Cincinnati Commercial.

Vicinity. Say New York and its vicinity, not
New York and vicinity, a 172, x 214.

"Violincello (for violoncello). "There was a
stringed instrument which has long been disused,
and which was called the violone. It was large, and

VICINITY — VULGAR. 215

very different from the violino. A small iostrument
of the kind was made, and called the violoncello {cello
being an Italian diminutive); and this, somewhat
modified, is the modern instrument of that name.
Violincello would be the name of a little violin;
whereas a violoncello is four times as large as a
violin. A similar contraction of word and thing
has given us clarinet {clarinetto) from clarino." a 101.

VrvACiTY. "Longevity is a comparatively mod-
ern word in the language. Fimc%, which has now
acquired the mitigated sense of liveliness, served
instead of it, keeping in English the original sense
which vivacitas had in Latin." p 222.

Vocation. See Avocation.

Vulgar (for immodest), a 173, x 215. "The
word 'vulgarity' was formerly thought to mean
indecent; now it simply means bad manners. To
be vulgar is to be inadmissible to society. Vulgar
people are low, mean, coarse, plebeian, no matter
where the ever-turning wheel of fortune has placed
them." — The Queen. The frequent use of this word
as a term of reproach is an exemplification of the
sentiment intended to be condemned. "The creed
of poetry," says Bishop Heber (Brampton Lectures,
1815), "is the creed of the vulgar." Suppose that,
and that only, were quoted, how many would at
once infer that he disapproved of poetry. But see
how he goes on: "The lofty strains of Pindar
resounded through the streets of Elis and Corinth,
and amid the promiscuous and crowded solemnities

216 vb;rbal pitfalls.

of republican festivals. Menander was the darling
of the Athenian stage, and the hymn which placed
Harmodious in the green and flowery island of the
blessed, was cliaunted by the potter at the wheel and
enlivened the labors of the Pirasan mariner." Vul-
gar means only common, — indeed, some even go so
far as repeatedly to use the word common as signifi-
cant of something beneath them. This is assump-
tion in its most odious form.

Wagon. The English spelling is always waggon.
tt 565.

Wainscot. In English building-trade, confined
to a particular kind of oak that grows in Holland,
p 223.

"Waut of {for want with). "What can the Em-
peror want of these provinces?" is very good English,
if we mean, "what request has he to make of these
provinces?" But if we mean, " what does he want
icith these provinces?" i. e,, " what need has he of
these?" then it is a vulgarism." i 161.

War (for dispute). X.

Waru't (for wasn't). "Heard only as a vulgar-
ism." 195.

Was (for is, of general truths), r 366, x 215, d
111. See also i 164. See you icas.

Was given, presented, etc. "Eternal vig-
ilence is the price of liberty, and constant attention
is the price of good English. There is one fault,
originating, as we suppose, with our esteemed
friends the reporters, which perpetually reappears

I

WAGON "WELL. 217

in spite of all castigation, and of which we find a
startling example in the columns of yesterday's
Times. Herr William Knaack, the clever German
comedian, says our contemporary, was given a bene-
fit at the Thalia Theatre last evening. This sort of
phraseology is exceedingly vicious. It is hard to
understand the depravity of its invention. It means
that a benefit was given to Mr. Knaack, or that Mr.
Knacck took a benefit; yet the infernal ingenuity
of the reporters contrives to frame a sentence in
which there are two nominatives and only one sing-
ular verb. The worst of it is that the corrupting
influence extends even to writers who are ordinarly
careful and elegant." — JSf. Y. Sun,

Waxen. See Golden.
Ways (for way). A good ways on.
Way (for weigh, in the phrase under weigh), vv
107. Under iceigh is not sanctioned by W. or Wb.

Weaponed. a 407.

Wearies (for is wearied). He icearies of such
stuff, r 344.

Well (as an adjective. "The xcell understand-
ing of speech." e I 344.

Well. "Used by Americans with peculiar
fondness to begin almost every sentence, but especi-
ally an answer to a question. This custom seems to
have originated in New England, where it is still
most generally prevailing, in order to gain time
before replying, as the Yankee is commonly accused
of answering only by a new question. He therefore

218 VERBAL PITFALLS.

dwells upon the well, perhaps even repeats it, and,
as J. R. Lowell quaintly remarks, gives it ' a vari-
ety of shades of meaning.conveyed by the difference
of intonation, and by prolonging or abbreviating,
which I should vainly attempt to describe. A
friend of mine told me that once he heard five
different wells, like pioneers, precede the answer to
an inquiry about the price of land." tt 566.

Wended (for went). " ' To wend one's way ' is a
perfectly correct expression. ' He wended his way '
is caused by the writer's ignorance of the fact that
went, which we use as the irregular preterite of the
verb 'to go,' is in fact the regular preterite of the
\ev\> to wend." sill. But see v 56.

Went (for gone, participle), v 58, n 80.

Wert (for wast), s 103. But see v 77.

What (superfluous). "Not a thing stolen, but
what the sea gave it up again faithfully." — J. P.
Newman. This gross vulgarism much surprises us
in Dr. Newman. It is still frequent in inferior
writers." v 263, x 315

What? (in reply to a question not understood).
In answer to "Crito," you suggest in a late num-
ber of the Spectator that perhaps the best form of
expression in answer to a question or speech not at
once understood is the English "Beg pardon.'' It
is certainly better than the common "Sir?" ot
"Madam?" or " What? " or (God forbid) " Which?'
of this country, but it is, nevertheless, objectionable
to Americans because it is not only very distinctive-

WENDED WHETHER. 219

ly English, but it has become witli certain snobs of
our city, a very disgusting affection, noticeable
particularly in the rising inflection and in the broad
"a" and a long drawl of the phrase. Why not
adopt the simple "Excuse me?" It expresses all
the other does, and to my view is quite as musical
and smooth. You were wrong in your article when
you say that the only French equivalent is " Que ?"
translated " What ?" " Quoi ?" is the French word
for the American " What?" but you will never hear
an educated Frenchman use the word " Quoi ?" in
the place of the English "Beg pardon." Among
the common people of Paris, on the street and in
cafes, the usual demand for a repetition of some-
thing said, is " Comment?" in English " How?" and
in polite socity, addressing ladies and persons of
quality, the invariable phrase is "Plait-il?" " Please
you or it ?" in English.

Better than all these, I suggest, is "Excuse me."
— Spectator, St. Louis.

What (for that). I don't know but what I shall
go. n 93.

Wharves. Here we say wJiarvcs, while in Eng-
land toharfs is considered alone admissible." tt 351,
dll6.

Whether. " A contraction of which of either,
and therefore cannot be correctly applied to more
than two objects." r351. Often improperly repeat-
ed, as, I have not decided wJiether I shall go or
[icJietJier I shall] stay, x 215, n 88.

220 VERBAL PITFALLS.

Whether or no (for lohether or not), d 137.
" An esteemed correspondent, who devotes critical
powers of unwonted acuteness to the discussion of
questions of grammar and philology, favors us with
his views against the ordinary colloquial phrase,
'whether or no. ' Our correspondent admits that it is
a well-established part of English speech. There
is no colloquial phrase he says, so universal. Every-
body uses it. And yet he goes on to argue that if it
is analytically examined, it is not accurate. Well,
what of that ? The fact that it is idomatic, and
that it is used by educated and intelligent people,
is enough. There is no use in attempting to recon-
struct the English tongue according to the iron rules
of exact reasoning. The language is idiomatic; it is
free ; it is tlueut ; and that is what makes its excellence.
If our correspondent had his own way, we fear he
would do serious injury to one of the noblest in-
struments of human thought." — N. T. Sun.

Which. Not the neuter of wJio, but a compound
word made up of w/w and like. Hence in former
usage v'lio identifies, ichich classifies, i 91. Hall
pronounces this distinction gratuitous, vv 7.

Which (for that). " She would be all which the
Emperor could desire." Froude. a 49.

R. G. W. quotes the following to illustrate the
misuse of icoukl and which, calling them test words
as to the mastery of idiom :

" The Bishop of Ross undertook that his mistress
WJOwW do anything w/iic/i {Angl. should do anything
that) the Queen of England and the nobility desir-
ed." Froude. a 51. See That, x 216, What.

WHETHER OE NO WIDOW AVOMAN. 221

Which ? (for vjhat did you say ?). i 82.
Whilst (for while), d 26.

Whither (for icJiere). "Upon my arrival hitJier."
— Johnson. Theoretically JiitJier is unimpeachable,
but the usage of our best writers substitutes here,
there, or where, for hither, thither and whither in this
and similiar cases. No one would say, "to arrive
to a place." c 5£.

Who {tor whom). "The distinction between them
seems to be disappearing, and I believe will dis-
appear." aa 275 " On the supposition that the
interrogative wlto has lofiom for its objective, the fol-
lowing are errors: "who do you take me to be?"
'* who is it by?" But considering that these ex-
pressions occur with the best writers and speakers,
that they are more energetic than the other form,
and that they lead to no ambiguity, it may be doubt-
ed whether grammarians have not exceeded their
province in condemning them." Bain. See x 316,
n 71, 91.

WHOLE (for all). "The whole steps of the
Christian life." r 357, x 218. See Complete.

Whom (for icho). i 191, x 216. See Who.

Whose (of neuter antecedents). "We should
scruple to say, ' I passed a house ichose windows
were open. " w 396. Yet in Man and Nature Mr.
Marsh writes, " a quadrangular pyramid, the per-
pendicular of lohose sides" (p. 145). v 348, vv 6,
X 218, d 89.

Widow woman (for widow), a 172, d 68, x 219.

It ■ . T)T ^st date stamped below

iiiaimal iv.^il j .. . J- Iff Jext-Bao "'' .11 tiielirstgraf' *irs'

of public ' 'I". BasoH n- s method of te; leiii^,

tary nun ^oar 51

PnpiVs iiiuuion. buai^^j, .^..10, pj,. ' 3

lughes (James L.) Mistakes in Teaching. American Jiuuion. With

Contents and Index Clotli, 16ino. pp. 135 &

luntingtou (Rt. Rev. F. D.) Unconscious Tuition. Third Edition. Paper,

16)n(), pp. i^ 1.

f uttoii (H. H.) A Manual of Mensuration, for use in Common School^and

Academies. Boards. 12nio, pp. 100 5

ackson (E. P.) Class-Record Cards. 90 white and 10 colored cards 5

ohiison's Chart of Astronomy. On blue enamelled cloth, 40x46 inches 3 5

teller (C.) Monthly Report Cards. 29rix4 inches. Per hundred. 101

Lenuedy (John.) The Philosophy of School Discipline. Paper, Itimo, pp. 23 !■'

.awrence (E. ("■.) Recreations i7i Ancient Fiehhi. Cloth. 12nio, pp. 200 1 0(

.ocke (John.) Some ThoxujhU concerning Education. Paper, 24hio, pp. 192. 21
laps for the Wall. New York State, revised to the present time, colored

by counties and towns. 2'4x3feet, mounted on cloth 2 Oi

THE SAME, 68x74 inches, cloth, the finest State map ever issued 10 0(

United States, 3i4x,i feet, with map of the world on back, paper 2 0(

Johnston's National Maps, 42x50 inches, cloth, colored on copper.

1. Hemispheres 5 0(

2. The World, Mercator's Projection 5 0(

3. The United States, Mexico, and Canada 5 DC

4. Europe 50

5. South America 5 0(

6. Asia ,^..^../ 5 01

7. Africa .<.i>.j..L? 5 0(

The Set, Seven Maps ;;. 30 0(

The Same, 27x33 inches, each 2 5i

Per set, seven maps 15 01

— BISECTED MAPS. United States sawn into States 7i

— Also, New York State sawn into Counties 11

farenholz-Buelow (B's.) The School Workshop. Paper, 16mo, pp. 27.. . If

:eiklejobn (J, M. D.) The New Education. 16mo, pp. 35 i;

[iller (Warner.) Education as a Dep't of Government. Paper, 8vo, pp. 12. IJ

llton (John). A Small Tractate of Education.' Paper, IBino, pp. 26 2J

:urray (David.) The Use and Abuse of Examinations. Paper, 8vo, pp. 13. 2E
ew York State Examination Questions, Being the questions given at all the

Examinations for State (Certificates from the begininng to the present
time, embracing 4.1OO questions in Heading, Writing, Drawing, Arithme-
tic, Geography, Grammar. United States History, General History,
Algebra, Geometry. Book-Keeping, Composition, Khetoric, Literature,
Civil Government, Pliysiology, Zoology, Botany, Geology, Mineralogy,
Physics, Methods. School Economy, School Law, together with Latin,
as an optional in the place of Geometry. Flexible Cloth, l6mo, pp. 1.50. . 25
orthain (Henry C.) Civil Qovernment for Common Schools. Cloth, 16mo.
pp. 185 75

— Fixing the Facts of American History. Cloth, 12mo, pp, 300 75

ortkrop (B. G.) High Schools. Paper, 8vo, pp. 26 25

orthrup (A. J.) Camps and Tramps in the Adirondacks. 16mo, pp. 302.

P;iper, 50 cents; in Cloth 1 23

umber Lessons. After the Grube Method. On heavy card-board, 7x11.. 10

ne Hundred Ch(dce Selections. Paper, 12mo, pp. 192. Each 30

ractical Work in the School Room, by three New York teachers. Part

I. The Human Body. Cloth, 12mo, pp. 139 75

iyne (Joser)h.) Lectures on the Art of Education, with other lectures and

es.says. 8vo, pp. 384 2 00

ayne (W. H.) A Short History of Education. Being a reprint of the

article Education from the 9th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

With an introduction, bibliography, notes, and references. Cloth, 16mo, •

PI). 105 50

sriodicals. The School Bulletin and New York State Educational Journal.

Established 1874. Monthly, 16 pp., 10x14. Per year 1 00

— Bound Vols. I-IX. Cloth, 200 pp., each 2 00

— The School Room. A Montlily Journal of Practical Help to Young
Teachers. 16pp., 7x11. Per year 50

^.

^
<^',

?3

ss'

_^

UBB^R'',

f^f^^^*I!„

/3 .wL_

33

^^W^

^J713DNVS01^ %a3AINfl-3H^^ "^^(SfOJSlVJiO'^

55

>

as

1^^

t.ir.t.^Ui

(—J u_ -
= <

%

= .-.. i

^^

so

tr.n ja'^ ^^oj nvj- jO"^

I i-j-*-"-* g^.' .