WRITE IT RIGHT JSMBROSE BIERCE CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDO"WMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE Cornell University Library PE 1460.B58 1909 3 1924 027 254 055 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924027254055 WRITE IT RIGHT A LITTLE BLACKLIST OF LITERARY FAULTS BY AMBROSE BIERCE WALTER NEALE 37 East 28th Street NEW YORK "St, 4 <'/^y^' /.-'•' Copyright. 1909, bt THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY AIMS AND THE PLAN The author's main purpose in this book is to teach precision in writing; and of good writing (which, essentially, is clear thinking made visible) precision is the point of capital concern. It is attained by choice of the word that accurately and adequately expresses what the writer has in mind, and by exclusion of that which either denotes or connotes something else. As Quintilian puts it, the writer should so write that his reader not only may, but must, understand. Few words have more than one literal and serviceable meaning, however many metaphorical, derivative, related, or even unrelated, meanings lexicographers may think it worth while to gather from all sorts and conditions of men, with which to bloat their absurd and misleading dic- tionaries. This actual and serviceable meaning — not always determined by de- rivation, and seldom by popular usage — is the one affirmed, according to his light, by the author of this little manual of solecisms. Narrow etymons of the mere scholar and loose locutions of the igno- rant are alike denied a standing. 6 AIMS AND PLAN The plan of the book is more illustrat- ive than expository-j the aim being to use the terms of etymology and syntax as little as is compatible with clarity, famil- iar example being more easily appre- hended than technical precept. When both are employed the precept is' com- monly given after the example has pre- pared the student to apply it, not only to the matter in mind, but to similar matters not mentioned. Everything in quotation marks is to be understood as disapproved. Not all locutions blacklisted herein are always to be reprobated as universal out- laws. Excepting in the case of capital oiFenders — expressions ancestrally vulgar or irreclaimably degenerate — absolute proscription is possible as to serious com- position only; in other forms the writer must rely on his sense of values and the fitness of things. While it is true that some colloquialisms and, with less of li- cense, even some slang, may be sparingly employed in light literature, for point, piquancy or any of the purposes of the skilled writer sensible to the necessity and charm of keeping at least one foot on the ground, to others the virtue of restraint may be commended as distinctly superior to the joy of indulgence. Precision is much, but not all; some words and phrases are disallowed on the AIMS AND PLAN 7 ground of taste. As there are neither standards nor arbiters of taste, the book can do little more than reflect that of its author, who is far indeed from professing impeccability. In neither taste nor pre- cision is any man's practice a court of last appeal, for writers all, both great and small, are habitual sinners against the light; and their accuser is cheerfully aware that his own work will supply (as in making this book it has supplied) many " awful examples " — his later work less abundantly, he hopes, than his earlier. He nevertheless believes that this does not disqualify him for showing by other in- stances than his own how not to write. The infallible teacher is still in the forest primeval, throwing seeds to the white blackbirds. A. B. THE BLACKLIST A for An. "A hotel." "A heroic man." Before an unaccented aspirate use an. The contrary usage in this country- comes of too strongly stressing our, aspir- ates. Action for Act. " In wrestling, a blow is a reprehensible action." A blow is not an action but an act. An action may consist of many acts. Admission for Admittance. " The price of admission is one dollar." Admit for Confess. To admit is to concede something affirmed. An unac- cused oflFender cannot admit his guilt. Adopt. " He adopted a disguise." One may adopt a child, or an opinion, but a disguise is assumed. Advisedly for Advertently, Intention' ally. " It was done advisedly " should mean that it was done after advice. Afford. It is not well to say "the fact affords a reasonable presumption " ; " the house afforded ample accommodation." The fact supplies a reasonable presump- 10 WRITE IT RIGHT tion. The house offered^ or gave, ample accommodation. Afraid. Do not say, " I am afraid it will rain." Say, I fear that it will rain. i Afterwards for Afterward, Aggravate for Irritate. " He aggrav- ated me by his insolence." To aggrav- ate is to augment the disagreeableness of something already disagreeable, or the badness of something bad. But a person cannot be aggravated, even if disagree- able or bad. Women are singularly prone to misuse of this word. All of. " He gave all of his prop- erty." The words are contradictory: an entire thing cannot be of itself. Omit the preposition. Alleged. " The alleged murderer." One can allege a murder, but not a mur- derer; a crime, but not a criminal. A man that is merely suspected of crime would not, in any case, be an alleged crim- inal, for an allegation is a definite and positive statement. In their tiresome ad- diction to this use of alleged, the news- papers, though having mainly in mind the danger of libel suits, can urge in further justification the lack of any other single word that exactly expresses their mean- ing; but the fact that a mud-puddle sup- plies the shortest route is not a compell- WEITE IT RIGHT 11 ing reason for walking through it. One can go around. Allow for Permit. " I allow you to go." Precision is better attained by say- ing permit, for allow has other meanings. Allude to for Mention. What is alluded to is not mentioned, but referred to indi- rectly. Originally, the word implied a playful, or sportive, reference. That meaning is gone out of it. And so. And yet. " And so they were married." " And yet a woman." Omit the conjunction. And which. And who. These forms are incorrect unless the relative pronoun has been used previously in the sentence. " The colt, spirited and strong, and which was unbroken, escaped from the pasture." " John Smith, one of our leading mer- chants, and who fell from a window yes- terday, died this morning." Omit the conjunction. Antecedents for Personal History. Antecedents are predecessors. Anticipate for Expect. " I anticipate trouble." To anticipate is to act on an expectation in a way to proipote or fore- stall the event expected. Anxious for Eager. " I was anxious to go." Anxious should not be followed by 12 WRITE IT EIGHT an infinitive. Anxiety is contemplative; eagerness, alert for action. Appreciate for Highly Value. In the sense of value, it means value justly, not highly. In another and preferable sense it means to increase in value. Approach. " The juror was ap- proached " ; that is, overtures were made to him with a view to bribing him. As there is no other single word for it, ap- proach is made to serve, figuratively; and being graphic, it is not altogether objec- tionable. Appropriated for Took. " He appro- priated his neighbor's horse to his own use." To appropriate is to set apart, as a sum of money, for a special purpose. Approve of for Approve. There is no sense in making approve an intransitive verb. Apt for Likely. " One is apt to be mistaken." Apt means facile, felicitous, ready, and the like; but even the diction- ary-makers cannot persuade a person of discriminating taste to accept it as synon- ymous with likely. Around for About. " The debris of battle lay around them." " The huckster went around, crying his wares." Around carries the concept of circularity. WRITE IT RIGHT 13 Article. A good and useful word, but used without meaning by shopkeepers; as, " A good article of vinegar," for a good vinegar. As for Thai, or If. "I do not know as he is living." This error is not very com- mon among those who can write at all, but one sometimes sees it in high place. As — as for So — as. " He is not as good as she." Say, not so good. In af- firmative sentences the rule is different: He is as good as she. As for for As to. " As for me, I am well." Say, as to me. At Auction for hy Auction. " The goods were sold at auction." At for By. " She was shocked at his conduct." This very common solecism is without excuse. V Attain for Accomplish. " By diligence we attain our purpose." A purpose is accomplished; success is attained. Authoress. A needless word — as need- less as " poetess." Avocation for Vocation. A vocation is, literally, a calling; that is, a trade or pro- fession. An avocation is something that calls one away from it. If I say that farming is some one's avocation I mean 14 WEITE IT RIGHT that he practises it, not regularly, but at odd times. ' Avoid for Avert. " By displaying a light the skipper avoided a collision." To avoid is to shun; the skipper could have avoided a collision only by getting out of the way. Avoirdupois for Weight. Mere slang. Back of for Behind, At the Back of. " Back of law iis force." Backwards for Backward. Badly for Bad. " I feel badly." " He looks badly." The former sentence im- plies defective nerves of sensation, the latter, imperfect vision. Use the adject- ive. Balance for Remainder. " The bal- ance of my time is given to recreation." In this sense balance is a commercial word, and relates to accounting. Banquet. A good enough word in its place, but its place is the dictionary. Say, dinner. Bar for Bend. " Bar sinister." There is no such thing in heraldry as a bar sinis- ter. Because for For. " I knew it was night, because it was dark." " He will not go, because he is ill." Bet for Betted. The verb to bet forms its preterite regularly, as do wet, wed. WRITE IT RIGHT 15 knit, quit and others that are commonly misconj ugated. It seems that we clip our short words more than we do our long. Body for Trunk. " The body lay here, the head there." The body is the entire physical person (as distinguished from the soul, or mind) and the head is a part of it. As distinguished from head, trunk may include the limbs, but anatomically it is the torso only. Bogus for Counterfeit, or False. The word is slang; keep it out. Both. This word is frequently mis- placed ; as, " A large mob, both of men and women." Say, of both men and women. Both alike. " They are both alike." Say, they are alike. One of them could not be alike. Brainy. Pure slang, and singularly disagreeable. Bug for Beetle, or for anything. Do not use it. Business for Right, " He has no busi- ness to go there." Build for Make. "Build a fire." " Build a canal." Even " build a tunnel " is not unknown, and probably if the wood- chuck is skilled in the American tongue he speaks of building a hole. But. By many writers this word (in 16 WRITE IT EIGHT the sense of except) is regarded as a pre- position, to be followed by the objective case : " All went but him." It is not a preposition and may take either the nomin- ative or objective case, to agree with the subject or the object of the verb. All went but he. The natives kiUed all but him. But what, " I did not know but what he was an enemy." Omit what. If con- demnation of this dreadful locution seem needless bear the matter in mind in your reading and you will soon be of a differ- ent opinion. By for Of. "A man by the name of Brown." Say, of the name. Better than either form is : a man named Brown. Calculated for Likely. " The bad weather is calculated to produce sick- ness." Calculated implies calculation, design. Can for May. " Can I go fishing? " " He can call on me if he wishes to." Candidate for Aspirant. In American politics, one is not a candidate for an office until formally named (nominated) for it by a convention, or otherwise, as provided by law or custom. So when a man who is moving Heaven and Earth to procure the nomination protests that he ^ WRITE IT RIGHT 17 is " not a candidate " he tells the truth in order to deceive. Cannot for Can. " I cannot but go." Say, I can but go. Capable. " Men are capable of being flattered." Say, susceptible to flattery. " Capable of being refuted." Vulnerable to refutation. Unlike capacity, capabil- ity is not passive, but active. We are capable of doing, not of having something pone to us. J Capacity for Ability. "A great capac- ity for work." Capacity is receptive; ability, potential. A sponge has capacity for water; the hand, ability to squeeze it out. Casket for Coffin. A needless euphem- ism afi'ected by undertakers. Casualties for Losses in Battle. The essence of casualty is accident, absence of design. Death and wounds in battle are produced otherwise, are expectable and expected, and, by the enemy, intentional. Chance for Opportunity. " He had a good chance to succeed." Chin Whiskers. The whisker grows on the cheek, not the chin. Chivalrous. The word is popularly used in the Southern States only, and commonly has reference to men's manner 18 WRITE IT RIGHT toward women. Archaic, stilted and fan- tastic. Citizen for Civilian. A soldier may be a citizen, but is not a civilian. Claim for Afprtn. " I claim that he is elected." To claim is to assert owner- ship. Clever for Obliging. In this sense the word was once in general use in the United States, but is now seldom heard and life here is less insupportable. Climb down. In climbing one ascends. Coat for Coating. " A coat of paint, or varnish." If we coat something we produce a coating, not a coat. Collateral Descendant. There can be none : a " collateral descendant " is not a descendant. Colonel, Judge, Governor, etc., for Mister. Give a man a title only if it be- longs to him, and only while it belongs to him. Combine for Combination. The word, in this sense, has something of the mean- ing of conspiracy, but there is no justific- ation for it as a noun, in any sense. Commence for Begin. This is not ac- tually incorrect, but — well, it is a matter of taste. Commencement for Termination. A WRITE IT RIGHT 19 contribution to our noble tongue by its scholastic conservators, " commencement day " being their name for the last day of the collegiate year. It is ingeniously de- fended on the ground that on that day those on whom degrees are bestowed com- mence to hold them. Lovely! Commit Suicide. Instead of " He com- mitted suicide," say. He killed himself, or. He took his life. For married we do not say " committed matrimony." Un- fortunately most of us do say, " got mar- ried," which is almost as bad. For lack of a suitable verb we just sometimes say committed this or that, as in the instance of bigamy, for the verb to bigam is a blessing that is still in store for us. Compare tvith for Compare to. " He had the immodesty to compare himself with Shakespeare." Nothing necessarily immodest in that. Comparison with may be for observing a diflFerence; comparison to affirms a similarity. Complected. Anticipatory past parti- ciple of the verb "to complect." Let us wait for that. Conclude for Decide. " I concluded to go to town." Having concluded a course of reasoning (implied) I decided to go to town. A decision is supposed to be made at the conclusion of a course of rea- 20 WRITE IT RIGHT soning, but is not the conclusion itself. Conversely, the conclusion of a syllogism ia not a decision, but an inference. Connection. " In this connection I should like to say a word or two." In connection with this matter. Conscious for Aware. " The King was conscious of the conspiracy." We are conscious of what we feel; aware of what we know. Consent for Assent. " He consented to that opinion." To consent is to agree to a proposal; to assent is to agree with a proposition. Conservative for Moderate. " A con- servative estimate " ; "a conservative fore- cast " ; "a conservative statement," and so on. These and many other abuses of the word are of recent growth in the news- papers and " halls of legislation." Hav- ing been found to have several meanings^, conservative seems to be thought to mean everything. Continually and Continuously. It seems that these words should have the same meaning, but in their use by good writers there is a difference. What is done con- tinually is not done all the time, but con- tinuous action is without interruption. A loquacious fellow, who nevertheless finds WRITE IT RIGHT 21 time to eat and sleep, is continually talk- ing; but a great river flows continuously. Convoy for Escort. "A man-of-war acted as convoy to the flotilla." The flo- tilla is the convoy, the man-of-war the es- cort. Couple for Tn>o. For two things to be a couple they must be of one general kind, and their number unimportant to the statement made of them. It would be weak to say, " He gave me only one, al- though he took a couple for himself." Couple expresses indifference to the exact number, as does several. That is true, even in the phrase, a married couple, for the number is carried in the adjective and needs no emphasis. Created for First Performed. Stage slang. " Burbage created the part of Hamlet." What was it that its author kd to it? Critically for Seriously. "He has long been critically ill." A patient is critically ill only at the crisis of his disease. Criticise for Condemn, or Disparage. Criticism is not necessarily censorious; it may approve. Cunning for Amusing. Usually said of a child, or pet. This is pure Ameri- canese, as is its synonym, " cute." 22 WRITE IT EIGHT Curious for Odd, or Singular. To be curious is to have an inquiring mind, or mood — curiosity. Custom for Habit. Communities have customs ; individuals, habits — commonly bad ones. Decease for Die. Decidedly for Very, or Certainly. " It is decidedly cold." Declared for Said. To a newspaper reporter no one seems ever to say any- thing; all "declare." Like "alleged" (which see) the word is tiresome ex- ceedingly. Defalcation for Default. A defalca- tion is a cutting off, a subtraction; a de- fault is a failure in duty. Definitely for Definitively. " It was definitely decided." Definitely means precisely, with exactness; definitively means finally, conclusively. Deliver. " He delivered an oration," or " delivered a lecture." Say, He made an oration, or gave a lecture. Demean for Debase or Degrade. ".He demeaned himself by accepting charity." The word relates, not to meanness, but to demeanor, conduct, behavior. One may demean oneself with dignity and credit. WRITE IT RIGHT 23 Demise for Death. Usually said of a person of note. Demise means the lapse, as by death, of some authority, dis- tinction or privilege, which passes to an- other than the one that held it; as the demise of the Crown. Democracy for Democratic Party. One could as properly call the Christian Church "the Christianity." Depot for Station. " Railroad depot." A depot is a place of deposit; as, a de- pot of supply for an army. Deprivation for Privation. " The mendicant showed the effects of depriva- tion." Deprivation refers to the act of depriving, taking away from; privation is the state of destitution, of not having. Dilapidated for Ruined. Said of a building, or other structure. But the ■word is from the Latin lapis, a stone, and cannot properly be used of any but a stone structure. Directly for Immediately. " I will come directly " means that I will come by the most direct route. Dirt for Earth, Soil, or Gravel. A most disagreeable Americanism, discred- ited by general (and Presidential) use. " Make the dirt fly." Dirt means filth. 24 WRITE IT RIGHl Distinctly for Distinctively. '' The custom is distinctly Oriental." Distinctly is plainly; distinctively, in a way to dis- tinguish one thing from others. Donate for Give. Good American, but not good English. Doubtlessly. A doubly adverbial form, like "illy." Dress for Gomn. Not so common as it was a few years ago. Dress means the entire costume. Each Other for One Another. " The three looked at each other." That is, each looked at the other. But there were more than one other; so we should say they looked at one another, which means that each looked at another. Of two, say each other; of more than two, one an- other. Edify for Please, or Entertain. Edify means to build ; it has, therefore, the sense of uplift, improvement — usually moral, or spiritual. Electrocution. To one having even an elementary knowledge of Latin grammar this word is no less than disgusting, and the thing meant by it is felt to be alto- gether too good for the word's inventor. Empty for Vacant. Say, an empty bot- tle; but, a vacant house. WRITE IT RIGHT 25 Employe. Good French, but bad Eng- lish. Say, employee. Endorse for Approve. To endorse is to write upon the back of, or to sign the promissory note of another. It is a com- mercial word, having insu£Scient dignity for literary use. You may endorse a check, but you approve a policy, or state- ment. Endways. A corruption of endwise. Entitled for Authorized, Privileged. " The man is not entitled to draw rations." Say, entitled to rations. Entitled is not to be followed by an infinitive. Episode for Occurrence, Event, etc. Properly, an episode is a narrative that is a subordinate part of another narrative. An occurrence considered by itself is not an episode. Equally as for Equally. " This is equally as good." Omit as. " He was of the same age, and equally as tall." Say, equally tall. Equivalent for Equal. " My salary is Equivalent to yours." Essential for Necessary. This sole- cism is common among the best writers of this country and England. " It is essen- tial to go early " ; " Irrigation is essential to cultivation of arid lands," and so forth. One thing is essential to another thing 26 WRITE IT RIGHT only if it is of the essence of it — an im- portant and indispensable part of itj de- termining its nature; the soul of it. Even for Exact. " An even dozen." Every for Entire, Full, j " The presid- ent had every confidence in him." Every for Ever. " Every now and then." This is nonsense: there can be no such thing as a now and then, nor, of course, a number of now and thens. Now and then is itself bad enough, reversing as it does the sequence of things, but it is idiomatic and there is no quarreling with it. But " every " is here a corruption of ever, meaning repeatedly, continually. Ex. " Ex-President," " an ex-convict," and the like. Say, former. In England one may say, Mr. Roosevelt, sometime President; though the usage is a trifle ar- chaic. Example for Problem. A heritage from the text-books. " An example in arithmetic." An equally bad word for the same thing is " sum " : " Do the sum," for Solve the problem. Excessively for Exceedingly. " The disease is excessively painful." " The weather is excessively cold." Anything that is painful at all is excessively so. Even a slight degree or small amoijnt of WRITE IT EIGHT 27 ■what is disagreeable or injurious is excess- ive — ^that is to say, redundantj superflu- ous, not required. Executed. " The condemned man was executed." He was hanged, or otherwise put to death; it is the sentence that is executed. Executive for Secret. An executive session of a deliberative body is a session for executive business, as distinguished from legislative. It is commonly secret, but a secret session is not necessarily ex- ecutive. Expect for Believe, or Suppose. " I expect he wiU go." Say, I believe (sup- pose or think) hejwill go; or,, I expect him to go. Expectorate for Spit. The former word is frequently used, even in laws and or- dinances, as a euphemism for the latter. It not only means something entirely dif- ferent, but to one with a Latin ear is far more offensive. Experience for Suffer, or Undergo. " The sinner experienced a change of heart." This will do if said lightly or mockingly. It does not indicate a serious frame of mind in thp speaker. Extend for Proffer. " He extended an invitation." One does not always hold 28 WRITE IT RIGHT out an invitation in one's hand; it may be spoken or sent. Fail. " He failed to note the hour." That implies that he tried to note it, but did not succeed. Failure carries always the sense of endeavor; when there has been no endeavor there is no failure. A falling stone cannot fail to strike you, for it does not try; but a marksman firing at you may fail to hit you; and I hope he always will. Favor for Resemble. " The child fa- vors its father." Feel of for Feel. " The doctor felt of the patient's head." " Smell of " and " taste of " are incorrect too. Feminine for Female. " A feminine member of the club." Feminine refers, not to sex proper, but to gender, which may be defined as the sex of words. The same is true of masculine. Fetch for Bring. Fetching includes, not only bringing, but going to get — go- ing for and returning with. You may bring what you did not go for. Finances for Wealth, or Pecuniary Re- sources. Financial for Pecuniary. " His finan- cial reward " ; " he is financially respon- sible," and so forth. WRITE IT RIGHT 29 Firstly. If this word could mean any- thing it would mean firstlike, whatever that might mean. The ordinal numbers should have no adverbial form: " firstly," " secondly," and the rest are words with- out meaning. Fix. This is, in America, a word-of- all-work, most frequently meaning repair, or prepare. Do not so use it. Forebears for Ancestors. The word is sometimes spelled forbears, a worse spell- ing than the other, but not much. If used at all it should be spelled forebeers, for it means those who have been before. A forebe-er is one who fore-was. Con- sidered in any way, it is a senseless word. Forecasted. For this abominable word we are indebted to the weather bureau — • at least it was not sent upon us until that affliction was with us. Let us hope that it may some day be losted from the language. >, Former and Latter. Indicating the first and the second of things previously named, these words are unobjectionable if not too far removed from the names that they stand for. If they are they confuse, for the reader has to look back to the names. Use them sparingly. Funeral Obsequies. Tautological. Say, so WRITE IT RIGHT obsequies; the word is now used in none but a funeieal sense. Fully for Definitively, or Finally. " Af- ter many preliminary examinations he was fully committed for trial." The adverb is meaningless: a defendant is never partly committed for trial. This is a solecism to which lawyers are addicted. And sometimes they have been heard to say " fullied." , Funds for Money. " He was out of funds." Funds are not money in gen- eral, but sums of money or credit avail- able for particular purposes. Furnish for Provide, or Supply. " Taxation furnished the money." A pauper may furnish a house if some one will provide the furniture, or the money to buy it. " His flight furnishes a presump- tion of guilt." It supplies it. Generally for Usually. " The winds are generally high." " A fool is gener- ally vain." This misuse of the word ap- pears to come of abbreviating: Gener- ally speaking, the weather is bad. A fool, to speak generally, is vain. Gent for Gentleman. Vulgar exceed- ingly. Genteel. This word, meaning polite, or well mannered, was once in better repute than it is now, and its noun, gentility, is WRITE IT RIGHT 31 still not infrequently found in the work of good writers. Genteel is most often used by those who write, as the Scotch- man of the anecdote joked — ^wi' deefi- culty. Gentleman. It is not possible to teach the correct use of this overworked word: one must be bred to it. Everybody knows that it is not synonymous with man, but among the " genteel " and those ambitious to be thought " genteel " it is commonly so used in discourse too formal for the word " gent." To use the word gentleman correctly, be one. Genuine for Authentic, or Veritable, " A genuine document," " a genuine sur- prise," arid the like. Given. " The soldier was given a rifle." What was given is the rifle, not the soldier. " The house was given a coat (coating) of paint." Nothing can be " given " anything. Goatee. In this country goatee is fre- quently used for a tuft of beard on the point of the chin — what is sometimes called " an imperial," apparently because the late Emperor Napoleon III wore his beard so. His Majesty the Goat is gra- ciously pleased to wear his beneath the chin. 32 WRITE IT RIGHT Got Married for Married. If this is correct we should say, also, " got dead " for died; one expression is as good as the other. Gotten for Got. This has gone out of good use, though in such compounded words as begotten and misbegotten it per- sists respectably. Graduated for Was Graduated. Gratuitous for Unrvarranted. " A gra- tuitous assertion." Gratuitous means without cost. Grueling. Used chiefly by newspaper reporters; as, "He was subjected to a grueling cross-examination." " It was grueling weather." Probably a corruption of grilling. Gubernatorial. Eschew it; it is not English, is needless and bombastic. Leave it to those who call a political office a " chair." " Gubernatorial chair " is good enough for them. So is hanging. Had Better for Would Better. This is not defensible as an idiom, as those who always used it before their attention was directed to it take the trouble to point out. It comes of such contractions as he'd for he would, I'd for I would. These clipped words are erroneously restored as " he had," ' I had." So we have such mon- WRITE IT EIGHT 33 strosities as " He had better beware," " I had better go." Hail for Come. " He hails from Chi- cago." This is sea speech, and comes from the custom of hailing passing ships. It will not do for serious discourse. Have Got for Have. " I have got a good horse " directs attention rather to the act of getting than to the state of hav- ing, and represents the capture as recently completed. / Head over Heels. A transposition of words hardly less surprising than (to the person most concerned) the mischance that it fails to describe. What is meant is heels over head. Healthy for Wholesome. "A healthy climate." " A healthy occupation." Only a living thing can be healthy. Helpmeet for Helpmate. In Genesis Adam's wife is called " an help meet for him," that is, fit for him. The ridiculous word appears to have had no other origin. Hereafter for Henceforth. Hereafter means at some time in the future; hence- forth, always in the future. The penit- ent who promises to be good hereafter commits himself to the performance of a single good act, not to a course of good conduct. 34 WRITE IT EIGHT Honeymoon. Moon here means month, so it is incorrect to say, " a week's honey- moon," or, " Their honeymoon lasted a year." Horseflesh for Horses. A singularly senseless and disagreeable word which, ■when used, as it commonly is, with refer- ence to hippophilism, savors rather more of the spit than of the spirit. Humans as a Noun. We have no single word having the general yet limited mean- ing that this is sometimes used to express — a meaning corresponding to that of the word animals, as the word men would if it included women and children. But there is time enough to use two words. Hung for Hanged. A bell, or a cur- tain, is hung, but a man is hanged. Hung is the junior form of the participle, and is now used for everything but man. Per- haps it is our reverence for the custom of hanging men that sacredly preserves the elder form — as some, even, of the most zealous American spelling reformers still respect the u in Saviour. Hurry for Haste and Hasten. To hurry is to hasten in a more or less dis- orderly manner. Hurry is misused, also, in another sense : " There is no hurry " — ^meaning, There is no reason for haste. WRITE IT RIGHT 35 Hurt for Harm. " It does no hurt." To be hurt is to feel pain, but one may be harmed without knowing it. To spank a child, or flout a fool, hurts without harm- ing. Idea for Thought, Purpose, Expecta- tion, etc. " I had no idea that it was so cold." " When he went abroad it was with no idea of remaining." Identified with. " He is closely ident- ified with the temperance movement." Say, connected. Ilk for Kind. "Men of that ilk." This Scotch word has a narrowly limited and specific meaning. It relates to an an- cestral estate having the same name as the person spoken of. Macdonald of that ilk means, Macdonald of Macdonald. The phrase quoted above is without meaning. Illy for III. There is no such word as illy, for ill itself is an adverb. Imaginary Line. The adjective is needless. Geometrically, every line is imaginary; its graphic representation is a mark. True the text-books say, draw a line, but in a mathematical sense the line already exists; the drawing only makes its course visible. In for Into. " He was put in jail." " He w^ent in the house." A man may be in jail, or be in a house, but when the 36 WEITE IT EIGHT act of entrance — ^the movement of some- thing from the outside to the inside of an- other thing — is related the correct word is into if the latter thing is named. Inaugurate for Begin, Establish,, etc. Inauguration implies some degree of form- ality and ceremony. Incumbent for Obligatory. " It was incumbent upon me to relieve him." In- felicitous and work-worn. Say, It was my duty, or, if enamored of that particular metaphor, It lay upon me. Individual. As a noun, this word means something that cannot be considered as divided, a unit. But it is incorrect to call a man, woman or child an individual, ex- cept with reference to mankind, to society or to a class of persons. It will not do to say, " An individual stood in the street," when no mention nor allusion has been made, nor is going to be made, to some aggregate of individuals considered as a whole. Indorse. See Endorse. Insane Asylum. Obviously an asylum cannot be unsound in mind. Say, asylum for the insane. In Spite of. In most instances it is better to say despite. Inside of. Omit the preposition. WRITE IT RIGHT 37 Insignificant for Trivial, or Small. In- significant means not signifying anything, and should be used only in contrast, ex- pressed or implied, with something that is important for what it implies. The bear's tail may be insignificant to a nat- uralist tracing the animal's descent from an earlier species, but to the rest of us, not concerned with the matter, it is merely small. Insoluble for Unsolvahle. Use the former word for material substances, the latter for problems. Inst., Prox., Ult. These abbreviations of instante mense (in the present month), proximo mense (in the next month) and ultimo mense (in the last month), are serviceable enough in commercial corre- spondence, but, like A. M., P. M. and many other contractions of Latin words, could profitably be spared from literature. Integrity for Honesty. The word means entireness, wholeness. It may be rightly used to aflSrm possession of all the virtues, that is, unity of moral character. Involve for Entail. " Proof of the charges will involve his dismissal." Not at all; it 'will entail it. To involve is, lit- erally, to infold, not to bring about, nor cause to ensue. An unofficial investiga- tion, for example, may involve character 38 WEITE IT EIGHT and reputation, but the ultimate conse- quence is entailed. A question, in the parliamentary sense, may involve a prin- ciple; its settlement one way or another may entail expense, or injury to interests. An act may involve one's honor and entail disgrace. /( for So. " Going into the lion's cage is dangerous; you should not do it." Do so is the better expression, as a rule, for the word it is a pronoun, meaning a thing, or obj ect, and therefore incapable of being done. Colloquially we may say do it, or do this, or do that, but in serious written discourse greater precision is desirable, and is better obtained, in most cases, by use of the adverb. Item for Brief Article. Commonly used of a narrative in a newspaper. Item connotes an aggregate of which it is a unit — one thing of many. Hence it sug- gests more than we may wish to direct attention to. Jackies for Sailors. Vulgar, and espe- cially offensive to seamen. Jeopardize for Imperil, or Endanger. The correct word is jeopard, but in any case there is no need for anything so far- fetched and stilted. Juncture. Juncture means a joining. WRITE IT RIGHT 39 a junction; its use to signify a time, how- ever critical a time, is absurd. " At this juncture the woman screamed." In read- ing that account of it we scream too. Just Exactly. Nothing is gained in strength nor precision by this kind of pleonasm. Omit just. Juvenile for Child. This needless use of the adjective for the noun is probably supposed to be humorous, like " canine " for dog, " optic " for eye, "anatomy " for body, and the like. Happily the offense is not very common. Kind of a for Kind of. " He was that kind of a man." Say that kind of man. Man here is generic, and a genus com- prises many kinds. But there cannot be more than one kind of one thing. Kind of followed by an adjective, as, "kind of good," is almost too gross for censure. Landed Estate for Property in Land. Dreadful ! Last and Past. " Last week." " The past week." Neither is accurate: a week cannot be the last if another is already be- gun; and all weeks except this one are past. Here two wrongs seem to make a right : we can say the week last past. But will we? I trow not. Later on. On is redundant; say, later. 40 WRITE IT RIGHT Laundry. Meaning a place ■where clothing is washed, this word cannot mean^ also, clothing sent there to be washed. Lay (to place) for Lie (to recline). " The ship lays on her side." A more common error is made in the past tense, as, " He laid down on the grass." The confusion comes of the identity of a present tense of the transitive verb to lay and the past tense of the intransitive verb to lie. Leading Question. A leading question is not necessarily an important one; it is one that is so framed as to suggest, or lead to, the answer desired. Few others than lawyers use the term correctly. Lease. To say of a man that he leases certain premises leaves it doubtful whether he is lessor or lessee. Being ambiguous, the word should be used with caution. Leave for Go away. " He left yester- day." Leave is a transitive verb; name the place of departure. Leave for Let. " Leave it alone." By this many persons mean, not that it is to be left in solitude, but that it is to be un- touched, or unmolested. Lengthways for Lengthwise. Lengthy. Usually said in disparage- ment of some wearisome discourse. It is no better than breadthy, or thicknessy. WRITE IT EIGHT 41 Leniency for Lenity. The -words are synonymous, but the latter is the better. Less for Fewer. " The regiment had less than five hundred men." Less re- lates to quantity, fewer, to number. Limited for Small, Inadequate, etc. " The army's operations were confined to a limited area." " We had a limited sup- ply of food." A large area and an ade- quate supply would also be limited. Everything that we know about is lim- ited. Liable for Likely. " Man is liable to err." Man is not liable to err, but to error. Liable should be followed, not by an infinitive, but by a preposition. Like for As, or As if. " The matter is now like it was." " The house looked like it would fall." Likely for Probably. " He will likely be elected." If likely is thought the bet- ter word (and in most cases it is) put it this way: "It is likely that he will be elected," or, " He is likely to be elected." Line for Kind, or Class. " This line of goods." Leave the word to " sales- ladies " and " salesgentlemen." " That line of business." Say, that business. Literally for Figuratively. " The stream was literally alive with fish." 42 WRITE IT EIGHT " His eloquence literally swept the audi- ence from its feet." It is bad enough to exaggerate^ but to affirm the truth of the exaggeration is intolerable. Loan for Lend. " I loaned him ten dol- lars." We lend, but the act of lending, or, less literally, the thing lent, is a loan. Locate. " After many removals the family located at Smithville." Some dic- tionaries give locate as an intransitive verb having that meaning, but — well, diction- aries are funny. Lots, or a Lot, for Much, or Many. "Lots of things." "A lot of talk." Love for Like. " I love to travel." " I love "apples." Keep the stronger word for a stronger feeling. Lunch for Luncheon. But do not use luncheon as a verb. Mad for Angry. An Americanism of lessening prevalence. It is probable that anger is a kind of madness (insanity), but that is not what the misusers of the word mad mean to affirm. Maintain for Contend. " The senator maintained that the tariff was iniquitous." He maintained it only if he proved it. Majority for Plurality. Concerning Votes cast in an election, a majority is WRITE IT EIGHT 43 more than half the total; a plurality is the excess of one candidate's votes over another's. Commonly the votes compared are those for the successful candidate and those for his most nearly successful com- petitor. Make for Earn. " He makes fifty dol- lars a month by manual labor." Mansion for Dwelling, or House. Usu- ally mere hyperbole, a lamentable fault of our national literature. Even our presid- ents, before Roosevelt, called their dwell- ing the Executive Mansion. Masculine for Male. See Feminine. Mend for Repair. " They mended the road." To mend is to repair, but to re- pair is not always to mend. A stocking is mended, a road repaired. Meet for Meeting. This belongs to the language of sport,, which persons of sense do not write — nor read. Militate. " Negligence militates against success." If " militate " meant anything it would mean fight, but there is no such word. Mind for Obey. This is a reasonless extension of one legitimate meaning of mind, namely, to heed, to give attention. Minus for Lacking, or Without. " After the battle he was minus an ear." It is 44 WRITE IT RIGHT better in serious composition to avoid such alien words as have vernacular equival- ents. Mistaken for Mistake. "You are mis- taken." For whom? Say, You mistake. Monarch for King, Emperor, or Sover- eign. Not only hyperbolical, but inaccur- ate. There is not a monarch in Christ- endom. Moneyed for Wealthy. " The moneyed men of New York." One might as sens- ibly say, " The cattled men of Texas," or, " The lobstered men of the iish market." Most for Almost. " The apples are most all gone." " The returning travel- ers were most home." Moved for Removed. " The family has moved to another house." " The Joneses were moving." Mutual. By this word we express a reciprocal relation. It implies exchange, a giving and taking, not a mere possess- ing in common. There can be a mutual affection, or a mutual hatred, but not a mutual friend, nor a mutual horse. Name for Title and Name. " His name was Mr. Smith." Surely no babe was ever christened Mister. Necessaries for Means. " Bread and meat are necessaries of life." Not so; WRITE IT RIGHT 45 they are the mere means, for one can, and many do, live comfortably without them. Food and drink are necessaries of life, but particular kinds of food and drink are not. Necessities for Necessaries. " Necess- ities of life are those things without which we cannot live." Nee. Feminine of ne, born. " Mrs. Jones, nee Lucy Smith." She could hardly have been christened before her birth. If you must use the French word say, nee Smith. Negotiate. From the Latin negotium. It means, as all know, to fix the terms for a transaction, to bargain. But when we say, " The driver negotiated a difficult turn of the road," or, " The chauffeur ne- gotiated a hill," we speak nonsense. Neither — or for Neither — nor. " Neither a cat or fish has wool." Al- ways after neither use nor. New Beginner for Beginner. Nice for Good, or Agreeable. " A nice girl." Nice means fastidious, delicately discriminative, and the like. Pope uses the word admirably of a dandy who was skilled in the nice conduct [management] of a clouded cane. Noise for Sound. " A noise like a flute " ; "a. noise of twittering birds," etc. 46 WRITE IT EIGHT A noise is a loud or disagreeable sound, or combination or succession of sounds. None. Usually, and in most cases, sin- gular; as. None has come. But it is not singular because it always means not one, for frequently it does not, as. The bottle ■was full of milk, but none is left. When it refers to numbers, not quantity, popular usage stubbornly insists that it is plural, and at least one respectable authority says that as a singular it is oiTensive. One is sorry to be offensive to a good man. No Use. " He tried to smile, but it was no use." Say, of no use, or, less col- loquially, in vain. Novel for Romance. In a novel there is at least an apparent attention to con- siderations of probability; it is a narra- tive of what might occur. Romance flies with a free wing and owns no allegiance to likelihood Both are fiction, both works of imagination, but should not be con- founded. They are as distinct as beast and bird. Numerous for Many. Rightly used, numerous relates to numbers, but does not imply a great number. A correct use is seen in the term numerous verse — verse consisting of poetic numbers; that is, rhythmical feet. Obnoxious for Offensive. Obnoxious WRITE IT EIGHT 47 means exposed to evil. A soldier in battle is obnoxious to danger. Occasion for Induce, or Cause. " His arrival occasioned a great tumult." As a verb, the word is needless and unpleasing. Occasional Poems. These are not, as so many authors and compilers seem to think, poems v?ritten at irregular and in- definite intervals, but poems veritten for occasions, such as anniversaries, festivals, celebrations and the like. Of Any for Of All. "The greatest poet of any that we have had." Offhanded and Offhandedly. Offhand is both adjective and adverb; these are bastard forms. On the Street. A street comprises the roadway and the buildings at each side. Say, in the strept. He lives in Broadway. One Another for Each Other. See Each Other. Only. " He only had one." Say, He had only one, or, better, one only. The other sentepce might be taken to mean that only he had one ; that, indeed, is what it distinctly says. The correct placing of only in a sentence requires attention and skill. Opine for Think. The word is not very respectably connected. 48 WRITE IT RIGHT Opposite for Contrary. " I hold the opposite opinion." " The opposite pract- ice." Or for Nor. Probably our most nearly universal solecism. " I cannot see the sun or the moon." This means that I am un- able to see one of them, though I may see the other. By using nor, I affirm the in- visibility of both, vrhich is what I wanted to do. If a man is not white or black he may nevertheless be a Negro or a Cauca- sian; but if he is not white nor black he belongs to some other race. See Neither. Ordinarily for Usually. Clumsy. Ovation. In ancient Rome an ovation was an inferior triumph accorded to vict- ors in minor wars or unimportant battle. Its character and limitations, like those of the triumph, were strictly defined by law and custom. An enthusiastic demonstra- tion in honor of an American civilian is nothing like that, and should not be called by its name. Over for About, In, or Concerning. " Don't cry over spilt milk." " He re- joiced over his acquittal." Over for More than. " A sum of over ten thousand dollars." " Upward of ten thousand dollars " is equally obj ection- able. WRITE IT RIGHT 49 Over for On. " The policeman struck him over the head." If the blow was over the head it did not hit him. Over with. " Let us have it over with." Omit with. A better expression is, Let us get done with it. Outside of. Omit the preposition. Pair for Pairs. If a word has a good plural use each form in its place. Pants for Trousers. Abbreviated from pantaloons, which are no longer worn. Vulgar exceedingly. Partially for Partly. A dictionary word, to swell the book. Party for Person. " A party named Brown." The word, used in that sense, has the excuse that it is a word. Other- wise it is no better than " pants " and " gent." A person making an agreement, however, is a party to that agreement. Patron for Customer. Pay for Give, Make, etc. " He pays attention." " She paid a visit to Niag- ara." It is conceivable that one may owe attention or a visit to another person, but one cannot be indebted to a place. Pay. " Laziness does not pay." " It does not pay to be uncivil." This use of the word is grossly commercial. Say, In- dolence is unprofitable. There is no ad- vantage in incivility. 50 WRITE IT EIGHT Peek for Peep. Seldom heard in Eng- land, though common here. " I peeked out through the curtain and saw him." That it is a variant of peep is seen in the child's word peek-a-boo, equivalent to bo- peep. Better use the senior word. Peculiar for Odd, or Unusual. Also sometimes used to denote distinction, or particularity. Properly a thing is pe- culiar only to another thing, of which it is characteristic, nothing else having it; as knowledge of the use of fire is pecul- iar to Man. People for Persons. " Three people were killed." " Many people are super- stitious." People has retained its parity of meaning with the Latin populus, whence it comes, and the word is not prop- erly used except to designate a popula- tion, or large fractions of it considered in the mass. To speak of any stated or small number of persons as people is incorrect. Per. " Five dollars per day." " Three per hundred." Say, three dollars a day; three in a hundred. If you must use the Latin preposition use the Latin noun too: per diem; per centum. Perpetually for Cordinually. " The child is perpetually asking questions." What is done perpetually is done contin- ually and forever. WRITE IT RIGHT 51 Phenomenal for Extraordinary/, or Sur- prising. Everything that occurs is phe- nomenal, for aU that we know about is phenomena, appearances. Of realities, noumena, we are ignorant. Plead (pronounced " pled ") for Pleaded. " He plead guilty." Plenty for Plentiful. " Fish and fowl were plenty." Poetess. A foolish word, like " au- thoress." Poetry for Verse. Not all verse is poetry; not all poetry is verse. Few per- sons can know, or hope to know, the one from the other, but he who has the humil- ity to doubt (if such a one there be) should say verse if the composition is met- rical. Point Blank. " He fired at him point blank." This usually is intended to mean directly, or at short range. But point blank means the point at which the line of sight is crossed downward by the traject- ory — the curve described by the missile. Poisonous for Venomous. Hemlock is poisonous, but a rattlesnake is venomous. Politics. The word is not plural be- cause it happens to end with s. Possess for Have. " To possess know- ledge is to possess power." Possess it 52 WRITE IT RIGHT lacking in naturalness and unduly em- phasizes the concept of ownership. Practically for Virtually. This error is very common. " It is practically con- ceded." " The decision was practically unanimous." " The panther and the cougar are practically the same animal." These and similar misapplications of the word are virtually without excuse. Pi