?*■ ■> as 3; rll r3 tA- .I'*^ ,■3:; V V v «JKV' o 'k 23 % gmmo^ ^ «mJ \\\\\\ tT1rtT=>.. •j.y, <,'',«-(,-i < 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. 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, 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 cif 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 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 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 . 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