Chapter D

~daisy~: A slang intensive, and as an equivalent for “fine” or “charming,” applied to persons and things, sometimes carelessly as “a daisy time,” for “a pleasant time.” In speaking of a woman, “Ain’t she a _daisy_” is a vulgar way of saying “Isn’t she charming.”

~damage~ should never be used for “cost” or “charge.” _Damage_ is injury or harm as to character, person, or estate; _cost_ and _charge_ involve or imply expenditure of money.

~dance, to lead one a~: A colloquialism for “to divert one from a desired course, and thus create delay in its accomplishment.” There is but little in the expression to recommend it.

~dander~ is a vulgarism for “anger” and as such should not be used.

~dangerous~: Avoid the vulgar use of this term in the sense of “dangerously ill.” A man near death may be dangerously ill, but he can not be _dangerous_.

~dare~, ~durst~ or ~dared~, ~daring~: “You daresn’t” “he durstn’t” are frequently used--the former always incorrectly, the latter generally so; for in nine cases out of ten, where the expression is used, the speaker desires to signify the present and not the past. The form is inelegant, but under certain conditions may be grammatically correct. You dare not; he dares not (daresn’t): this for the _present_. In the _past_ only, he durst not (or durstn’t).

~dead~, ~deceased~: Discriminate between these words. One may refer correctly to a _dead_ man or a _dead_ horse, but the word _deceased_ is applied correctly only to human beings.

~dead slow~: A colloquialism for “lacking in spirit or liveliness, dull or tedious;” applied indiscriminately to persons or things.

~deal~: Used sometimes loosely for ~serve~. Do not say “Deal the potatoes;” here _serve_ is preferable.

~debase~. Compare DEMEAN.

~decease~ should never be used as a verb.

~deceive~: Deception implies the production of a false impression. It is necessary, therefore, to distinguish between the accomplishment of this object and the bare attempt. Yet one frequently hears the expression “he is deceiving me,” when it is clear that (as the attempt is unsuccessful) the idea intended to be conveyed is “he is attempting to _deceive_ me.”

~decided~, ~decisive~: These terms are not exactly synonymous. A _decided_ fact is one that is unmistakable and beyond dispute; a _decisive_ fact is one that terminates a discussion. A _decided_ victory is not necessarily a battle _decisive_ of a campaign.

~deduction~ is frequently confounded with ~induction~. The _in-_ mounts up from facts to law and is the process of inferring general conclusions from particular cases; the _de-_ descends from law to facts and is that which is deduced from premises or principles. _Induction_ is termed analysis; _deduction_, synthesis.

~deface~, ~disfigure~: Discriminate between these words. Persons _deface_ things, for to _deface_ implies a deliberate act of destruction; but _disfiguration_ may take place to person or thing by the operation of either. Thus, an inscription or bond is _defaced_, but facial beauty is _disfigured_ by smallpox or the weight of care.

~delicious~, ~delightful~: These terms should be used with discrimination. _Delicious_ is correctly applied to pleasures of the senses; _delightful_ to that which charms, gratifies, or gives pleasure. A dish may be _delicious_, but not _delightful_; an entertainment may be _delightful_, but is certainly not _delicious_.

~delusion~, ~illusion~: Discriminate carefully between these terms. A _delusion_ is a mental error arising from false views or an unbalanced state of mind; an _illusion_ is an unreal image which is presented to the senses. A mirage is an optical _illusion_.

~demean~ signifies “to behave” and does not mean _debase_ or _degrade_. A man _demeans_ (_i. e._, comports) himself as a gentleman; but even if he should _demean_ himself as a churl, the verb would not imply a lowering of his dignity or _debasement_; his debasement would result alone from the conduct he pursued.

~denominate~. Compare NOMINATE.

~depositary~, ~depository~: Discriminated in the best usage, _depositary_ denoting a person with whom, and _depository_ a place in which anything is deposited for safe-keeping.

~depravation~, ~depravity~: These terms are not synonymous. _Depravation_ is the act or process of depraving or corrupting; _depravity_ is the condition of being depraved.

~desert~. Compare ABANDON.

~desert~, ~dessert~: Discriminate carefully between these words. A _desert_ is a barren waste; an uncultivated and uninhabited wilderness; a _dessert_ is a service, as of fruits or sweetmeats, at the close of a dinner.

~despatch~: This word may be spelt correctly either “despatch” or “dispatch,” notwithstanding the fact that some writers condemn the word “dispatch.”

~develop~ is to “unfold” or “bring to light _by degrees_” and should not be used for “expose” which means to “reveal or lay bare,” without regard to manner.

~device~, ~devise~: Discriminate carefully between these words. A _device_ is something designed, invented, or constructed for a special purpose or for promoting an end, and may be used in either a good or bad sense. A _devise_ is a gift of lands by a last will and testament. Compare BEQUEST.

~die~: A word often misapplied especially by persons accustomed to use inane superlatives as “She died with laughing”; “I thought she’d have died.” _Die_, as a hyperbole, means, “to have a great desire for,” and this sense is an undesirable perversion.

~difference~: Careful note should be made of the appropriate prepositions. The STANDARD DICTIONARY says: “Difference _between_ the old and the new; differences _among_ men; a difference _in_ character; _of_ action, _of_ style; (less frequently) a difference (controversy) _with_ a person; a difference _of_ one thing _from_ (incorrectly _to_) another.”

~different from~: _Different to_, though common in England, is not sustained by good authority. The best literary usage is uniformly _from_, following the analogy of the verb _differ_; one thing _differs from_ or is _different from_ another.

~differ from~, ~differ with~: One thing may differ _from_ another, or one person may differ _from_ another, as in physique; but one person may differ _with_ another in opinion.

~dippy~: An extreme vulgarism for “mentally unbalanced.”

~direct~ should not be used where _address_ is intended. Do not say “_Direct_ your letters to me at Cook’s;” say, rather, “_Address_ your letters,” etc.

~directly~, which means “in a direct or straight course or manner,” and so “without medium,” has not unnaturally been extended to signify “without medium or intervention of time; immediately.” American critics have objected to this use, but in England it is popular.

~disappoint~: Since _disappoint_ implies frustration or defeat, one cannot be _agreeably disappointed_; rather agreeably _surprised_.

~discharge~. Compare ASSUME.

~discreet~, ~discrete~: Both words are derived from the Latin _discretus_, pp. of _discerno_, _dis_ + _cerno_, separate, and formerly _discreet_ was also spelt _discrete_, and even had the meaning of “separate, distinct,” which sense now belongs exclusively to _discrete_. _Discreet_ is used with the signification of “evincing discernment, judicious, prudent.”

~discern~, ~discriminate~: The latter word is often treated as synonymous with _distinguish_, and there is etymological reason for this, as both words mean to separate, but to _discern_ is to “distinguish by the difference or differences; differentiate.” “What we _discern_ we see apart from all other objects; what we _discriminate_ we judge apart, or recognize by some special mark or manifest difference. We _discriminate_ by real differences; we _distinguish_ by outward signs.”

~disfigure~. Compare DEFACE.

~disremember~: Avoid this term as provincial and archaic, and use _forget_ instead.

~dissociate~ is preferable to _disassociate_; for associate is from the Latin _ad_, to, + _socius_, united, whereas _dissociate_ is from the Latin _dis-_, used with separative force, and _socius_. _Disassociate_ is therefore nothing more or less than uniting to and at the same time severing from. The word, then, though used, is illogically formed and should be avoided.

~distinguish~. See DISCRIMINATE.

~divers~, ~diverse~; By inattentive persons not infrequently interchanged. _Divers_ implies severalty; _diverse_, difference. Hence we say; “The Evangelists narrate events in _divers_ manners,” but “The views of the two parties were quite _diverse_.”

~do~: Often used unnecessarily. Do not say, “I shall succeed as others have _done_ before me.” Here “done” is pleonastic. But _do_ may be used where it is purely auxiliary to a missing verb, as “I shall succeed as others _do_” (succeed).

~dock~ is not a synonym for _wharf_ although it is often used as such. The _dock_ is water, the _wharf_ is the abutting land or landing.

_Dock_ is by many persons used to mean a wharf or pier; thus: “He fell off the _dock_ and was drowned.... 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.”--R. G. WHITE, _Words and Their Uses_, ch. 5. p. 107.

~donate~: Incorrectly used as simply meaning _give_. As meaning to _bestow as a gift_ or _donation_, it has been vehemently objected to by some critics, but the word has certainly acquired a place in popular use, and is no more rendered unnecessary by the previous existence of _give_ than _donation_ is by the previous existence of _gift_. _Donate_ should be used of the bestowal of important, ceremonious, or official gifts only.--STANDARD DICTIONARY.

~done~: Avoid using the past participle of verbs instead of the imperfect. Do not say, “You _done_ it,” or “you _seen_ it,” when you mean “you _did_ it,” or “you _saw_ it.” Nor use the past tense for the perfect participle, as in, “If you had _came_” when you mean “If you had _come_.”

~don’t~ is a contraction of _do not_, and in this sense is permissible; but as signifying _does not_, the proper contraction for which is _doesn’t_, its use is inaccurate. In writing, the uncontracted forms are much to be preferred, though in conventional speech the abbreviations are accepted.

~don’t believe~, ~don’t think~: “I _don’t believe_ I’ll go”; “I _don’t think_ it will rain”; solecisms now in almost universal use. Say, rather, “I believe I will not go”; “I think it will not rain.”

~don’t make no error~. See ERROR.

~dopey~: A vulgar substitute for “sleepy; dull; thick-headed.”

~dose~, ~doze~: Discriminate carefully between these words. That which a physician prescribes is a _dose_; that which a sleepy patient may fall into is a _doze_.

~do tell!~ An exclamation of surprise the equivalent of which is “Is it possible!”--an inane provincialism to be avoided.

~doubt~. See WHETHER.

~doubt but that~: In this phrase _but_ is superfluous as it does not add anything to the sense.

~dozen~: Exercise care in writing or uttering this word. If a number precedes, then _dozen_ forms the correct plural: if not, the plural is formed by adding an _s_. Say “six _dozen_ sheep,” but “many _dozens_ of cattle.”

~draft~, ~draught~: Exercise care in using these words. A _draft_ is an order drawn by one person or firm on another for the payment of money to a third; a _draught_ is a current of air passing through a channel or entering by an aperture. These words are pronounced alike and modern American practise favors the spelling of _draft_ for both.

~drive~: Critics have seen fit to cavil at the distinction between _drive_ and _ride_, objecting that the coachman _drives_ the lady, and asking whether traveling by train or trolley-car is a _ride_ or _drive_. The popular idea is that one _rides_ in a public conveyance but _drives_ when in a private carriage. As a matter of convenience, however, the old-time distinction so far as it concerns _riding_ on horseback and _driving_ in a carriage is good, and in no way encroaches on the question of travel submitted. Horse-back exercise and a carriage drive are essentially exercises for pleasure and so not to be confounded with travel; but if there were no distinguishing expression for the two, we should have to add a qualifying term to “ride,” to indicate the form of recreation enjoyed. Again, on the legal principle of _Qui facit per alium facit per se_ (He who does a thing by another does it himself), the lady who commissions her coachman to _drive_, is herself the author of his driving, and _drives_.

~drunk~: In modern usage of the verb this word is confined to the past participle. It is therefore not now proper to say “They drunk his health” say, rather, “They _drank_ his health.” Do not say “I have _drank_” when you mean “I have _drunk_.”

~dry up!~ A vulgar imperative for “be quiet” or “stop talking” and as such not used in refined circles.

~dubersome~: Of a vacillating nature, doubtful: an absurd corruption of _dubious_ to be avoided.

~due~, ~owing~: Words now often used interchangeably. _Due_ should be limited in its use to that which has to be paid, the word _owing_ being indicative of the source of the existing condition. An obligation may be discharged as being _due_ to a man’s estate or his character. A man’s wealth is _owing_ to inheritance, good fortune, toil or thrift.

~Dutch~: Often misapplied to the Germans from a mistaken idea of the spelling of the German word _Deutsch_. The Dutch are Hollanders, and the Germans are “Deutsch” in Germany.

E

~each~, ~every~: These words should never be used with pronouns or verbs in the plural.

~each other~: Strictly applied to two only, whereas _one another_ implies more than two. “The two friends congratulated _each other_” (_i. e._, each one the other). “This commandment I give unto you that ye love one _another_:” Yet this expression is now used carelessly as a reciprocal pronoun; and Whittier writes “To worship rightly is to love _each other_.”

~effect~, ~affect~: Distinguish carefully between these terms. To _effect_ means to accomplish; to _affect_, to influence. By concerted action men may _effect_ reforms which shall _affect_ their condition.

~effluvia~: A word often used incorrectly from the mistaken idea that it is of the singular number. Do not say “What a disagreeable _effluvia_” when you wish to draw attention to an unpleasant smell. If you must use the word, say “_effluvium_.”

~egg~. Compare BAD.

~either~: An adjective denoting “one or the other of two” often used incorrectly with a plural verb; as, “Either _are_ likely to sail.” Now, inasmuch as “either” means “one or _the other_” of two the verb in the sentence should be in the singular and to be correct the sentence should be “Either _is_ likely to sail.” However, in its best and strictest usage _either_, as has already been said, means “one or the other of these,” as, “_either_ horn of a dilemma”; but there is authority for its use as “any” and “each of two” or “both.” The former of these is, however, a distinctly improper use, and the latter--though sanctioned by “on _either_ side one, and Jesus in the midst,” (_John_ xix, 18) is better left unsaid.

~either you or I are (am or is) right~: Which should it be? You _are_; I _am_; who _is_--which of the two? The complete sentence is clearly “Either you (are right) or I (am right).” If the pronoun had been coupled, as in “Both you and I” the plural verb would of course follow; but the very fact of this would seem to indicate that where they are distinctly disjoined, as here, the verb should not be plural and should therefore be singular. Yet who could say “either you or I _am_ right.” Peculiar as it is--it being impossible to say either “you is” or “I is” the solution is to be found in the use of _is_; and the correct rendering is, “Either you or I--one of us,--_is_ right.” Dr. Latham cites the rule thus, “Wherever the word _either_ or _neither_ precedes the pronouns, the verb is in the third person.” He adds a second rule to the effect that if the disjunctive is without the word _either_ or _neither_, then the verb agrees with the first of the two pronouns. He would therefore say “either you or I _is_ right,” but “you or I _are_ right.” It is, however, questionable whether usage bears with him.

~elder~, ~eldest~; ~older~, ~oldest~: Discriminate carefully between these terms. _Elder_ and _eldest_ are correctly applied only to persons and usually only to persons in the same family, as, “his _elder_ brother.” _Older_ and _oldest_ are used of persons or things without any restriction, “the _oldest_ inhabitant”; “the older _road_ is now closed.”

~elegant~: Often misused for _pleasant_. _Elegant_ refers to qualities of refinement, grace, taste or polish. One may say “an _elegant_ gown”; “an _elegant_ outfit”; but not “an _elegant_ time” nor “an _elegant_ view.”

~else~: E. S. Gould and certain other critics take exception to a possessive use of this word, upon which the former says “A comparatively modern and a superlatively ridiculous custom has been introduced by putting not the noun but the adjective, _else_, in the possessive case.... _Else_, in the way it is used, means besides ... [one] might as well say somebody besides’s, etc. The proper construction of the several phrases is somebody’s else, nobody’s else.”

On this subject the STANDARD DICTIONARY says: “The expressions ~some one else~, ~any one else~, ~every one else~, ~somebody else~, which are in good usage, are treated as substantive phrases and have the possessive inflection upon _else_; as, _somebody else’s_ umbrella; but some people prefer to treat them as elliptical expressions; as, the umbrella is _somebody’s_ else (_i. e._, other than the person previously mentioned).”

~embryo~: The plural of this word is formed by the adding of “s” not “es” as in _potatoes_.

~emerge~, ~immerge~: Discriminate carefully between these terms. To _emerge_ is to come out of; issue or proceed from something; to reappear as in a new state; as, “the butterfly _emerges_ from the chrysalis.” To _immerge_ is to plunge into anything, especially a fluid; or to disappear; as, “some heavenly bodies _immerge_ in the light of the sun.”

~emigrant~, ~immigrant~: These words are to be carefully distinguished with regard, not to the person but to the country from which or to which a person comes. The _e_ = _ex_, out of; the _im_ = _in_, into. The _emigrant_ from Ireland is an _immigrant_ when he lands in New York.

~eminent~, ~imminent~: Discriminate carefully between these words. _Eminent_ means distinguished, prominent, conspicuous. _Imminent_ means impending; threatening.

~endorse~, ~indorse~: From the Latin _in_, on, and _dorsum_, back, means to write or place upon the back of. It is therefore pleonastic to say, as is frequently done, “_indorse_ on the back of.”

The spelling _indorse_ which follows the medieval Latin is that preferred in law and commerce; _endorse_, a spelling which follows middle English analogy, is the preferred form according to literary usage.

~enjoy~: A word often misused. Do not say “I enjoy bad health” nor “I enjoy good health,” when you suffer from illness or are in a perfect state of health. One enjoys health (here good is superfluous), but how can one _enjoy_ bad health?

~enthuse~, said to be of journalistic origin, is characterized as slang by the STANDARD DICTIONARY, meaning “manifest enthusiasm or delight.”

~enthusiast~, ~fanatic~: Discriminate carefully between these words. An _enthusiast_ is one who is ardently zealous in any pursuit; a _fanatic_ is one whose mind is imbued with excessive or extravagant notions on religious subjects.

~epithet~: Often misused from the mistaken idea that an epithet must necessarily be opprobrious in character or imply opprobrium. An epithet is an adjective or a phrase or word used adjectively to describe some quality or attribute of its object, as in “a _benevolent_ man,” “_Father_ Æneas,” “benevolent” and “father” are epithets.

~equally as well~: An erroneous phrase rendered correctly _equally well_. The introduced conjunction has no grammatical place in the sentence, the meaning of which is clear without it.

~equanimity of mind~. A pleonasm since equanimity means “evenness of _mind_.”

~error, don’t you make no~: An ungrammatical and therefore incorrect phrase sometimes used to assert a fact; say, rather, “make no error.”

~eruption~, ~irruption~: Discriminate carefully between these words. An _eruption_ is a bursting forth as from inclosure or confinement. An _irruption_ is a sudden incursion; an invasion.

~eternal~, ~everlasting~: Distinguish carefully between these words. That which is _eternal_ is without beginning or end; that which is _everlasting_ is without end only.

~euphemism~. Compare EUPHUISM.

~euphuism~ is often improperly used for _euphemism_. Added to the Greek _eu_, well, is _phyē_, nature, in the former, and _phēmi_, speak, in the latter. The former is general and denotes a style, an affectation of speech or writing, whereas _euphemism_ is particular and denotes a figure of speech.

~evacuate~ should be distinguished from ~vacate~. _Evacuate_ does not mean to go away but to make empty; and when the word is used in regard to military movements, evacuation is a mere consequence, result, or at most, concomitant of the going away of the garrison. (R. G. WHITE, _Words and Their Uses_, ch. 5, p. 109.) To _vacate_ is to surrender possession by removal.

~event~: Care should be exercised in the use of this word. It means strictly a happening; that which happens or comes to pass as distinguished from a thing that exists. In interlocutory proceedings a defendant was granted costs (which happened to be considerable) _in any event_. The plaintiff was shrewd enough to drop all further proceedings, and consequently there was no _event_ so the heavy costs which he would have had to pay fell upon his opponent.

~eventuate~: Although some writers condemn the use of this word as a synonym for “happen” the use is recorded by modern dictionaries and may be considered good English. Originally and in a restricted sense _eventuate_ meant “to culminate in some result”; now, it means also “to be the issue of.”

~even up~: A slang expression much used in the South and West to signify “get even with; exact compensation from”: an undesirable phrase.

~ever~: Where _ever_ is intended to be used as an adverb of degree and not an adverb of time, it is improper to substitute _never_ (not ever) for the word. If the substitution be made, it must be with the understanding that the thought of the sentence is changed from degree to time. “If he run _ever_ so well, he can not win” is not correctly expressed by “If he run _never_ so well,” etc., unless the thought intended to be conveyed is “If he run, and run so well, as _never_ in his life before, he can not win.” The tendency has been to use both _ever so_ and _never so_ loosely and vaguely.

~ever so~: The phrases _ever so great_, _little_, _much_, _many_, etc., meaning “very” or “exceedingly great,” etc., may be carefully discriminated from _never so great_, _little_, etc., meaning “inconceivably great, little,” etc. Compare NEVER SO.

~every~: A collective pronominal singular that is sometimes incorrectly used with a verb in the plural. Do not say “Every passenger of the two hundred aboard _were_ detained at the dock.” Say, rather, “Every passenger ... _was_ detained.”

~every confidence~: The phrase is objected to by some critics on the ground that “_every_ is distributive, referring to a number of things that may be considered separately, while confidence is used as a mass-noun.” The adjective, therefore, as signifying _all_ or _entire_, is not permitted, though the phrase is accepted by many as being elliptical, the words “sort of” being understood after _every_; but _implicit confidence_ is a preferable phrase.

~every which way~: A pleonastic colloquialism for “every way”; “in all directions”; either of which phrases may be used in preference.

~evidence~, ~testimony~: These words are often used as if they were interchangeable. Greenleaf says “_Testimony_, from the Latin, _testis_, a witness, is, however, only a species of evidence through the medium of witnesses. The word _evidence_, in legal acceptation, includes all the means by which any alleged matter of fact, the truth of which is submitted to investigation, is established or disproved.” (_Evidence_, vol. i. ch. 1, p. 3.) Again “_Evidence_ rests upon our faith in human _testimony_, as sanctioned by experience” (vol. i. ch. 10, p. 70). We may have the _testimony_ of a traveler that a fugitive passed his way; but his footprints in the sand are _evidence_ of the fact.

~evident~. Compare APPARENT.

~exasperate~. Compare AGGRAVATE.

~executer~, ~executor~: Discriminate carefully between these words. An _executer_ is one who performs some act; a doer. An _executor_ is one who in law administers an estate.

~exceed~, ~excel~: Formerly _exceed_ (from the Latin _ex_, forth, + _cedo_, go, = to go beyond the mark) had for one of its meanings _excel_ (from the Latin _ex_, out, + _celsus_, raised, = to go beyond in something good or praiseworthy; outdo). Now these words must be distinguished. This is to be particularly noted in the derivatives _excessive_ and _excellent_--the former signifying an excess in that which ought not to be exceeded, the latter in that where it is praiseworthy to exceed. It is, therefore, not correct to speak of weather as being _excessively_ cold; say rather, _very_ or _exceedingly_ cold.

~except~, ~unless~: These words are not synonymous. Avoid such locutions as “You will not enjoy it _except_ you earn it.” Say rather, “You will not enjoy it _unless_ you earn it.”

~exceptionable~ is to be distinguished from ~exceptional~. _Exceptionable_ conduct is that which is out of the common and forms the exception to the rule.

~excise~, ~customs~, ~tolls~: Distinguish from each other. Mill in his “Political Economy” says:

“Taxes on commodities are either on production within the country, or on importation into it, or on conveyance or sale within it, and are classed respectively as _excise_, _customs_, or _tolls_ and transit duties.” (bk. v. ch. 3, p. 562.)

Thus, _excise_ is a charge on commodities of domestic production; _customs_ is a charge or duty assessed by law levied on goods imported or exported; _tolls_ are charges for special privileges as, passing over a bridge or a turnpike.

~excite~, ~incite~: Exercise care in the use of these words. _Excite_ means to produce agitation or great stir of feeling in; _incite_ is to rouse to a particular action.

~exemplary~ should not be used for “excellent.” That which is _exemplary_ serves as a model or an example worthy of imitation: that which is _excellent_ possesses distinctive merit or excels that which is good or praiseworthy.

~exodus~: Sometimes misused for ~exit~ or ~departure~. Do not say “I made a hasty _exodus_”; say, rather, “My _exit_ (or _departure_) was hasty.”

~expect~ is commonly misused for _think_, _believe_, _suppose_; also for _suspect_. _Expect_ refers to the future, not to the past or present, usually with the implication of interest or desire. Yet “I _expect_ it is,” or even “I _expect_ it _was_,” is very common.

~expect likely~, ~expect probably~. The STANDARD DICTIONARY says of these careless locutions, it is not the expectancy, but the future event, that is _likely_ or _probable_. One may say “I think it is _likely_,” “I think it [the act, event, or the like] _probable_,” or “It seems _likely_” or “_probable_.” When another person’s expectancy is matter of conjecture, one may say “You _probably expect_ to live many years”; _i. e._, “_I think it probable_ that _you expect_,” etc.; but “Probably you expect,” etc., would be better.

F

~face the music~: Slang for to confront with boldness anything of an unpleasant character or any task especially difficult: a metonymic but inelegant phrase.

~fade away~: In modern parlance a slang phrase first introduced by Thackeray (_Vanity Fair_, ch. 60, p. 540), and meaning “disappear or vanish mysteriously.” The phrase is in good usage, however, in the sense of “to pass away gradually; vanish; die out;” as, “religious animosity would of itself _fade away_” (MACAULAY, _Hist. of England_, vol. 2, p. 134).

~faint~, ~feint~, and ~feign~ all come from the French, _feindre_, which is derived from the Latin, _fingo_, shape. The first two, similarly pronounced, have very different significations. _Faint_ means a sudden loss of consciousness or swoon; _feint_ signifies a deceptive move or pretense. To _feign_ is to make a false show of; pretend.

~fake~: Slang term for imposition; fraud; also, fictitious or manufactured news. Expressive but inelegant.

~fakement~: Slang for an act of fraud. Less desirable than preceding and equally inelegant.

~fanatic~. Compare ENTHUSIAST.

~farewell~: When separated by a pronoun _farewell_ is written as two words; as, _fare you well_. Exception has been taken to Byron’s pathetic lines

_Fare thee well_, and if for ever,
Then for ever, _fare thee well_;

but this is hypercriticism for here the pronoun is nothing but the Anglo-Saxon dative.

~farther~, ~further~: _Farther_ should be used to designate longitudinal distance; _further_ to signify quantity or degree. Thus, “How much _farther_ have we to go?” “Proceed no _further_ along that course.”

~fault~: The different meanings of this word should be clearly distinguished. A man perplexed or one who has made a mistake is _at fault_; if he has done anything for which he may be blamed he is _in fault_. A hound is _at fault_ when he has lost the scent.

~faun~, ~fawn~: Homophones each with a distinct meaning. _Faun_ is from the Latin _Faunus_, god of agriculture and of shepherds, and signifies a god of the woods; _fawn_, from the Anglo Saxon _faegen_, fain, signifies to seek favor by cringing and subserviency.

~favor~ in the sense of “resemble” is a colloquialism, the use of which is not recommended.

~faze~, ~feeze~: Slang terms for “disconcert” or “confuse,” either of which is to be preferred.

~feel to~: A colloquial expression meaning “to have an impulse;” as “I _feel to_ agree with you,” which can not be too severely condemned.

~feel bad~, ~feel badly~: Discriminate carefully between these terms. If you mean to express the idea that you are ailing in health, _feel bad_ is correct. _Feel bad_ is synonymous with _feel ill_ and is correct. One might as well say _feel illy_ as _feel badly_ if the latter were correct as applied to health. However, _feel badly_ is correct when the intention is to say that one’s power of touch is defective as through a mishap to the fingers.

~feel good~, ~feel well~: Distinguish carefully between these phrases. _Good_ signifies having physical qualities that are useful, or that can be made productive of comfort, satisfaction, or enjoyment, as, a _good_ view, _good_ flour; _well_ signifies having physical health, free from ailment; as, “two are sick, the rest are _well_.” Compare GOOD.

~felicitate~, ~congratulate~: The distinction in the meanings of these words should be carefully noted. To _felicitate_ is to pronounce one happy and in the strict sense, applies to self alone; _congratulate_ is to wish joy to another. In recent years _congratulate_ has been applied to one’s self, and _felicitate_ to another; thus the application of the meanings of these words have been reversed by careless usage.

Trench says, “When I _congratulate_ a person (_congratulor_) I declare that I am sharer in his joy, that what has rejoiced him has rejoiced me also.” _Gratulation_, does not signify participation, and therefore, is a mere _felicitation_ (or admission of existing happiness or cause for happiness) addressed to another.

~female~: An opprobrious or contemptuous epithet for woman. _Female_ should be restricted to its correct use. Do not say “With that modesty so characteristic of a _female_”; say rather, “... so characteristic of a woman.” Compare LADY.

~fermentation~, ~fomentation~: Exercise care in the use of these words. _Fermentation_ is a chemical decomposition of an organic compound; _fomentation_, is the act of treating with warm water.

~fetch~. Compare BRING.

~few~: Sometimes used incorrectly for “in some measure”; “to an extent”; “somewhat”; “rather”; as, “Did you enjoy yourself?” “Just a _few_.” _Few_ is correctly applied to quantity and incorrectly to quality; therefore, its use as in the illustration given here is not good English.

~few~ and ~a few~ must not be confounded. “_Few_ men would act thus” means that scarcely any would; but “_A few_ men will always speak the truth” means that there are some, though not many, whose custom this is.

~few~, ~little~: The first of these words is sometimes improperly used for the second. Measurement by count is expressed by _few_, measurement by quantity by _little_; as, “the loss of a _few_ soldiers will make but _little_ difference to the result.” “The _fewer_ his acquaintances, the _fewer_ (not the _less_) his enemies.” _Few_, _fewer_, _fewest_, are correctly used in describing articles the aggregate of which is expressed in numbers; _little_, _less_, and _least_ are used of objects that are spoken of in bulk.

~figure~: E. S. Gould and other critics object to the use of the word in the sense of an amount stated in numbers, as “Goods at a high _figure_.” But Dean Alford is content to give his sanction to its use, and the literary and general public have followed him.

~final~: Sometimes misused in such a sentence as “the _final_ completion of the work.” This is inadmissible, for completion necessarily implies finality.

~financial~, ~monetary~, ~pecuniary~: Discriminate carefully between these words. _Financial_ is applied correctly to public funds or to the revenue of a government. _Monetary_ and _pecuniary_ apply only to transactions between individuals.

~finish~. Compare COMPLETE.

~fire~: As this verb possesses the sense of impel, explode, discharge, as by using fire; as, “_fire_ a mine or gun,” it has been humorously applied to discharge from employment, as “_fire_ a clerk.” But the usage is slang, and as such is avoided by careful speakers.

~first~: Say the “_first_ two” rather than the “two _first_,” for unless they be bracketed equal there can not be two _firsts_. For a similar reason the expression seen in cars, “Smoking on the _four rear_ seats,” is equally incorrect. There can not be four _rear_ (or _last_) seats; but there can be “the _last four_ seats.” As meaning the four seats collectively which are situated at the rear, the phrase has its only justification.

~first~ and ~firstly~: _First_ being an adverbial form is the correct form to use. _Firstly_ has been used by Dickens, De Quincey, and others but in modern usage _first_ is the preferred form.

~first-rate~ is an adjectival not an adverbial expression. One may say correctly, “He is a _first-rate_ walker,” but not that “he walks _first-rate_.”

~fish~: When speaking of fish collectively this word represents the plural; speaking of fish severally the plural is formed by the addition of _es_.

~fix~: The colloquial use of this noun for a position involving embarrassment or a dilemma or predicament has not the sanction of literary usage. Do not say “I am in a bad _fix_” say, rather, “... in a bad _condition_.” As a verb, it is better unused in the sense of _set_ or _arrange_. As meaning “put into thorough adjustment or repair,” with the word _up_ added, it is sanctioned by popular usage; but the expression is thought inelegant and indefinite. Some more discriminating term is to be preferred. _Fix_, in the sense of “disable, injure, or kill,” and “fix up” in the sense of “dress elegantly,” are vulgarisms.

~flap-doodle~: An inelegant term for “pretentious silly talk characterized by an affectation of superior knowledge.” _Twaddle_ is a preferable synonym. Compare FLUB-DUB.

~flash~ for ostentatious display, as of money, is inelegant. _Display_ is a preferable word.

~flew~ is often misused for _fled_. Do not say “He _flew_ the city” when you mean that he _fled_ from it.

~flies on~: “There are no _flies on_ him,” is a slang phrase not used by persons accustomed to refined diction.

~flock~: A word sometimes misapplied. Do not say “a _flock_ of girls;” say, rather, “a _bevy_ of girls” and “a _flock_ of sheep.” _Flock_ is correctly applied to a company or collection of small animals as sheep, goats, rabbits, or birds.

~flop~ is an inelegant word used sometimes to denote change of attitude on a subject. Do not say “He _flopped_ over to the other side”; say, rather, “He went over....”

~flub-dub~: A slang term used to designate a literary work that is worthless.

~flummux~: A vulgarism sometimes used for “perplex” or “disconcert.”

~fly off the handle~: A colloquial phrase meaning to “lose one’s self control” as from anger.

~folks~: The modern colloquial plural use of this term is not to be recommended. The word is properly used, both in singular and plural form, as _folk_, its correct signification being “people, collectively or distributively.”

~foment~, ~ferment~: Exercise care in the use of these words. _Foment_ is to bathe with warm or medicated lotions; _ferment_, to cause chemical decomposition in. Both words are also used figuratively.

~fondling~, ~foundling~: Discriminate carefully between these words. A _fondling_ is a person fondled or caressed; a _foundling_ is a deserted infant whose parents are unknown.

~fooling~: The use of the word in the sense of “deceiving” has been condemned by certain writers as a “very vulgar vulgarism,” but is permissible, having the sanction not only of good literary authority but of modern dictionaries. See Tennyson’s “Gareth and Lynette” (st. 127): “Worse than being fool’d of others is to fool one’s self.”

~for~ and ~to~: These words are often added at the end of a sentence by careless speakers but are redundant. Do not say “Less than you think _for_”; nor “Where are you going _to_?”

~forget it~: When used as the equivalent of “don’t talk about it,” is a vulgarism that can not be too severely condemned.

~fork over~: Slang for “hand over,” a preferable phrase.

~former~: This word can refer to only one of two persons or things previously mentioned, never to any one of three or more. Avoid such construction as the following: “Mr. Henley says that had Rosetti and Byron been contemporaries, some of the _former’s_ (meaning Rosetti) verses would have caused the latter (meaning Byron) to blush.” Here, _former_ refers to Mr. Henley, but the context shows clearly the intention of the writer to refer to Rosetti.

~forsake~. Compare ABANDON.

~fort~, ~forte~: These two words similarly pronounced must be distinguished. In each case the derivation is the same (the Latin _fortis_ strong), and although there is an alternative spelling of _fort_ for “forte” it is not the favored form. A _fort_ signifies a fortification held by a garrison; _forte_ is that in which an individual chiefly excels.

~fracas~: A _fracas_ is a brawl or an uproar, not a part of the human anatomy. Therefore, avoid such expressions as “He was stabbed in the fracas.” Say, rather, “During the fracas he was stabbed.”

~fraud~: Just as _cheat_ has been made to do duty both for the act and the person committing the act, so in colloquial usage has _fraud_ been made to represent not only the act but also its perpetrator. It has even been extended to “a deceptive or spurious thing.” These usages of _fraud_ are, however, not to be recommended.

~freeze~: This word has nothing in common with _frieze_ save the pronunciation. The former is an Anglo-Saxon term, whereas the latter comes from the French _frise_, for _fraise_, a ruff. To _freeze_ is to convert into ice, congeal; to _frieze_ is to provide with a _frieze_, which is, in architecture, the middle division of an entablature.

~freeze out~: A vulgar phrase for to “treat with coldness, as of manner or conduct.”

~freeze to~: An inelegant colloquialism for “cling to,” sometimes found in literature as in Kipling’s “Mine Own People,” p. 209.

~frequently~. Compare COMMONLY.

~fresh~ in the sense of “full of ignorant conceit and presumption” is slang and as such is avoided by persons careful with their diction.

~friend~: Carefully distinguish between _friend_ and _acquaintance_. The former is an acquaintance who has been admitted to terms of intimacy, and who is regarded with a certain amount of affectionate regard. A person to whom one has received a bare introduction is an acquaintance--nothing more.

~frieze~. Compare FREEZE.

~from~: A preposition often incorrectly used for “of.” _From_ should not be used elliptically. Do not say “He died _from_ pneumonia” when you mean “_from the effects of_ pneumonia.” Here _effect_ suggests the cause from which the result proceeded. “He died _of_ pneumonia” is correct.

~froze~: A term sometimes misused for frozen. _Froze_ is the imperfect of the verb _freeze_, while _frozen_ is a participial adjective. It is incorrect to say, “My hands are _froze_,” here _frozen_ should be used.

~-ful~. The plural of compounds ending in _-ful_, as _spoonful_ is formed in the same manner as the plural of other nouns of regular formation--by the simple addition of a final “s,” as, _spoonfuls_. So when a physician prescribes medicine to be taken by the spoonful more than once a day, these are correctly spoken of as _spoonfuls_. But supposing more than one medicine is to be taken and that the medicines do not assimilate thus requiring _more than one spoon_ to administer them; then it would be correct to refer to the different doses as _spoons full_, since the words denote more than one spoon full. _Spoonfuls_ denote one spoon filled more than once.

~fulfil~: Remember that in this word the “l” is not doubled but that it is in _fulfilling_.

~full~, ~fuller~: Terms sometimes incorrectly used. A “_full_ cup,” is a cup completely filled, therefore it would seem illogical to say “my cup is _fuller_ than yours.” As a rule all words that in themselves express the idea of completion or perfection should be used only in the positive degree. A perfection greater than itself is inconceivable, yet in literature, and with speakers who are accustomed to a careful choice of words, this form of expression has been permitted for comparison in the absence of an absolute standard of measurement.

~full~: A coarse substitute for “intoxicated.”

~funeral~: A term sometimes misused for “affair,” or “business,” as in the phrase “Not my _funeral_” meaning “No business of mine.” The use is not to be commended.

~funny~: As a colloquialism signifying “queer” this adjective should be used with care. It is better retained for signification of that which is mirth-provoking or ludicrous. _Funny_ is sometimes used incorrectly to imply silly impropriety, as in the phrase, “Don’t get _funny_.” Such usage should be avoided.

~further~. Compare FARTHER.

~future, the~: Used sometimes to signify the present; as, “I _shall be_ happy to accept”--this is not what is meant. The meaning is “I _am_ happy to accept, for I _shall be_ happy to come,” or “(Because) I shall be happy to (come I am happy to) accept”; and the elliptical result is that there is elision of the words in parentheses. In a recent lawsuit the plaintiff lost $10,000 because a so-called guarantee was given in these terms: “I _will_ guarantee” instead of “I (hereby _do_) guarantee.” The guarantee provided had never been asked for, given, or obtained. The credulous victim had accepted a promise, without condition, for a performance; and he lost. Time has improved his knowledge of the force of the English tongue.

G

~galaxy~: Exercise care in the use of this word. It signifies any brilliant circle or group; as, a _galaxy_ of beauties or of gems, and is never correctly used of any person or thing of inferior quality.

~gall~: Correctly used is “an intensely bitter feeling.” When used as a synonym for “cool assurance” or “impudence” it is slang which should be avoided.

~gang~ is correctly applied to a squad of laborers, and others detailed to certain given tasks. But sometimes applied also, usually in an uncomplimentary way, to a company of persons who meet habitually for social intercourse; as, “He sent a letter to the _gang_ at Seelig’s.”

~gazebo~: A term often misused for “chief person.” A _gazebo_ is a belvedere or elevated summer-house and as such is often the highest point of a building: applied to a person the term is slang.

~gee whiz~: A slang exclamation of astonishment that it is best to avoid.

~geezer~: A vulgar term applied, usually in derision to elderly persons, particularly women. Formerly it was used to designate a mummer or other grotesque character.

~generally~. Compare COMMONLY.

~genius~, ~genus~: Discriminate carefully between these words. _Genius_ implies the possession of remarkable natural gifts through which their possessor may attain ends or obtain results by intuitive power. _Genus_ is a class or kind. In the natural sciences it is the subordinate of an order, tribe, or family.

~gent~: As an abbreviation for _gentleman_ this word is not permitted in refined speech; and _gentleman_ is never correctly used for _man_ as a mere indication of sex. Compare LADY.

~genteel~ is sometimes improperly applied to persons who are preferably spoken of as polite or well-bred. If used with regard to persons, it should only be in connection with some specific characteristic, as “a person of _genteel_ speech or appearance,” or to indicate suitability to the condition of a well-bred person, as in the expression “a _genteel_ fortune.”

~genuine~. Compare AUTHENTIC.

~get a gait~ or ~move on~: Slang phrases for “hasten one’s steps or actions,” which, while it may not be so expressive, is more elegant and refined.

~get over~: Sometimes used for _deny_ or _refute_. One doesn’t get over a charge but _refutes_ it.

~git~: Vulgarism used in the imperative for _get out_.

~go~. See WENT.

~go back on~: A colloquialism for abandon, deceive, play false. Inelegant and not used by persons accustomed to nice discriminations of speech.

~going~ is sometimes used as a synonym for _just about_. One frequently hears, “I am just going to sing,” from a person who is _about to_ do so. The verb _go_, in the transitive, is sometimes used loosely in the colloquial sense of “endure” or “wager.” Polite speech does not sanction such locutions as “I can not _go_ that music;” “I will _go_ you a dollar on the race.”

~gone~: The phrase “He’s been _gone_ this month,” though frequently used, is better rendered thus: “It’s a month since he went.” The verb “to go” does not lend itself agreeably to this treatment which is common with other verbs (as “He has been known and loved for years”), and the expression “this month,” for “this past month,” is somewhat too elliptical to be received with favor.

~gone case~: A vulgarism sometimes used to denote that the affection bestowed by one person on another of the opposite sex shows him to be serious in his intentions. It is also a vulgarism when applied to one who is in a hopeless condition, as from illness.

~good~ should never be used for _well_. Do not say, “I feel pretty _good_” or “she plays that pretty _good_” when you mean that you “feel pretty _well_” or that “she plays fairly _well_.”

~go past~: “Go” usually implies motion forward, therefore, it is pleonastic to say “go past.” Say, rather, that you “go _by_” and not _past_. Nevertheless a march _past_ is a recognized expression.

~got~: This word is used correctly for acquired or obtained, but is incorrectly used to denote simple possession and correctly implies _effort to secure_ something. Sometimes it is used redundantly; as, “He has _got_ it”; the simpler form, “He has it” is preferable. “We have _got_ to do it,” while emphatic, is less so than “we _must_ do it.”

~go the whole hog~: An inelegant phrase used for “to go to the utmost limit.” Carlyle traces the origin of this phrase from the Irish because in Ireland _hog_ was a synonym for a ten penny piece, a coin once current in that country.

~graduate~: The use of this verb in the intransitive has been condemned by purists but is now well established. Thus, one may correctly say “He _was graduated_ from a university” or, “_He graduated_ from a university.”

~grammar~: The phrases ~good grammar~ and ~bad grammar~ have been condemned as false syntax by some persons unfamiliar with the meanings of the word “grammar.” One meaning recorded by the STANDARD DICTIONARY is “speech or writing considered with regard to its correctness; propriety of linguistic usage; as, he uses _good_ or _bad grammar_.”

The _New York Herald_ (March 4, 1906) says: “_Good grammar_ is one of those cheap vulgarisms which most offend the scholarly ear. A phrase is either grammatical or ungrammatical. It can not be characterized as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ grammar.”

The writer of the foregoing based his criticism on a misunderstanding. The word “grammar” is not like the word “orthography,” a word made up of _orthos_, correct, and _grapho_, to write. Grammar does not carry with it the implication of correctness, and modern grammarians bear this out. Prof. Edward Maetzner in his “English Grammar: Methodical, Analytical and Historical,” so defines the term:

“_Grammar_, or the _doctrine of language_, treats of the laws of
speech, and, in the first place, of the _Word_, as its fundamental
constituent, with respect to its _matter_ and its _form_, in
_prosody_, or the doctrine of sounds, and _morphology_, or the
doctrine of forms, and then of the _combination_ of words in speech,
in _syntax_, or the doctrine of the joining of words and sentences”
(vol. i. p. 12).

Syntax, which is a part of grammar, is sometimes confused with grammar itself. It is that part of grammar which treats of the sentence and of its construction, and embraces, among other features, the doctrine of the collocation of words in sentences in connected speech, treating of their arrangement and relative positions, as required by grammatical connection, euphony, and clearness and energy of expression.

The “New English Dictionary,” edited at Oxford University by Dr. J. A. H. Murray, treating this subject says:

“The old-fashioned definition of grammar as ‘The art of speaking
and writing a language correctly’ is from the modern point of view
in one respect too narrow, because it applied only to a portion of
this branch of study; in another respect it is too wide, and was
so even from the older point of view, _because many questions of
‘correctness’ in language are recognized as outside the province
of grammar_: _e. g._, the use of a word in a wrong sense, or a bad
pronunciation or spelling, would not have been called a grammatical
mistake. Until a not very distant date, grammar was divided by
English writers into Orthography, Etymology, Syntax, and Prosody, to
which Orthoepy was added by some others. The division now usual is
that into Phonology, treating of the sounds now used in the language,
Accidence, of the inflexional forms or equivalent combinations, and
Syntax, of the structure of sentences.”

In defining grammar, Lindley Murray wrote “English grammar is the art of speaking and writing the English language with propriety.” Following the style of the STANDARD DICTIONARY, Dr. Murray gives one of the meanings of grammar as follows; “Speech or writing judged as good or bad according as it conforms to or violates grammatical rules; also speech or writing that is correct according to those rules.”

If grammar can not be good or bad, as contended by the _New York Herald’s_ editor, then it can not be true or false. Yet Dryden wrote, “And I doubt the word ‘they’ is _false grammar_” (Almanzor, II. Def. Epilogue); and Macaulay writing of Frederick the Great, said: “He had German enough to scold his servants, but his _grammar and pronunciation are extremely bad_” (Essays; Frederick the Great). Again, elsewhere, “The letter may still be read, with all the original _bad grammar_ and bad spelling” (History of England, IV., xviii., 245). Both phrases are permissible. Compare BAD.

~grammatical error~: A common locution, but “an error in grammar,” is to be preferred as avoiding what is sometimes considered a violation of grammatical precision.

~grant~. Compare ACCORD.

~grass, go to~: A vulgar imperative meaning “get away” or “clear out!”

~grass widow~: A common term of disparagement applied to a woman abandoned by or separated from her husband: a term which is not used by persons of refinement and one that, if used at all, should be applied only with great care.

~grass widower~: A term used to denote a husband who lives apart from his wife or one from whom the wife is temporarily absent.

~gratitude~, ~thankfulness~: Gratitude, from the Latin _gratitudo_, from _gratus_, kind, is a sense of appreciation of favors received, as indicated by actions. It is the actual feeling, of which _thankfulness_, or the fulness of thanks, is the mere outward expression. It is therefore quite possible, and indeed often the case, for a person who at one time is _full of thanks_ to show subsequently a want of gratitude.

~great~. Compare BIG.

~groom~ should not be used for “bridegroom.”

~grouchy~: A slang term for sulky or disgruntled.

~grow~ sometimes used for _become_ is gaining the sanction of usage; as, “to _grow_ smaller.” In this sense _grow_ has been used by such masters of English as Steele, Gray, Johnson, and Macaulay.

~guess~, ~suppose~, ~think~, ~conjecture~: Words sometimes used incorrectly. We _guess_ when we are content to hazard an opinion based on data which are admittedly insufficient, but we _suppose_ when we have good ground for assuming a thing to be true. When we _think_, we give thought to a matter on which we yet admit the thought has been insufficient to furnish us with exact or certain knowledge. _Thinking_ is allied to _conjecturing_, in which, though holding a pronounced opinion, this falls short of absolute _conviction_. We _guess_ the outcome of an event, but _suppose_ that an event which has happened may result in good. We _think_ that a certain medicine may effect a cure, but if we have tried it successfully before for a similar complaint, _conjecture_ that it will, although not being absolutely sure that the conditions are precisely the same we are not _convinced_ and do not _know_.

~gums~. Compare RUBBERS.

H

~habit~, ~custom~, ~usage~: Discriminate carefully between these words. In strict usage _habit_ pertains exclusively to the individual; _custom_ to a race or nation of people, as, the _customs_ of the Jews. _Usage_ refers particularly to habitual practise or something permitted by it or done in accordance with it.

~had better~, ~would better~: Although according to grammatical rule _had better_ is incorrect, it has been used by writers of correct English and it may be found repeatedly in the English Classics. Therefore, it is generally considered good usage and preferable to _would better_ which, though correct, is seldom heard and usually considered pedantic.

~had~, ~have~: In such a phrase as “_Had I have_ heard of it,” the verb _have_ is redundant, for _had_ here is used elliptically for _if I had_, and carries the contingency to the past. Care should be taken to avoid such locutions as the example given which is one of a class that stamps those who make use of them as grossly ignorant.

~had ought~: The use of any part of the verb _have_ with _ought_ is a vulgarism. Not “I _had ought_ to have written,” but simply “I _ought_ to have written”; not “He _hadn’t ought_ to have done it,” but “He _ought not_ to have done it.”

~had rather~, ~had better~: Forms disputed by certain critics, from the days of Samuel Johnson, the critics insisting upon the substitution of _would_ or _should_, as the case may demand, for _had_; but _had rather_ and _had better_ are thoroughly established English idioms having the almost universal popular and literary sanction of centuries. “I _would rather_ not go” is undoubtedly correct when the purpose is to emphasize the element of choice or will in the matter; but in all ordinary cases “I _had rather_ not go” has the merit of being idiomatic and easily and universally understood.

I _had rather_ be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell
in the tents of wickedness. _Ps._ lxxxiv. 10.

If for “You _had better_ stay at home,” we substitute “You _should better_ stay at home,” an entirely different meaning is expressed, the idea of expediency giving place to that of obligation.--STANDARD DICTIONARY.

“_Would rather_ may always be substituted for _had rather_. _Might rather_ would not have the same meaning. _Would_ and _should_ do not go well with _better_. In one instance _can_ is admissible. ‘I can better afford,’ because _can_ is especially associated with _afford_. We may say _might better_, but it has neither the sanction, the idiomatic force, nor the precise meaning of _had better_.”--SAMUEL RAMSEY, _Eng. Lang. and Gram._ pt. ii. ch. 6, p. 413.

~hail~, ~hale~: _Hail_ is pronounced as _hale_ (robust; sound) but should be distinguished therefrom, although for that word there is an alternative spelling _hail_, which, however, is rarely used. _Hale_ is from Icelandish _heill_, sound; _hail_ is from the Anglo-Saxon, _haegel_, frozen rain.

~hain’t~: A common vulgarism for _have not_, _haven’t_, and made worse, if possible, by being used also for _has not_ or _hasn’t_; as “I _hain’t_,” “He _hain’t_,” etc. “I _haven’t_,” “He _hasn’t_,” are permissible, “_haven’t_ I?” “_hasn’t_ he?” are acceptable in conversation. But when the subject precedes in the first person singular and the plural, it is preferable to abbreviate the verb; as, “_I’ve not_” “_you’ve not_,” etc.

~half~: Inasmuch as in equivalent terms of the whole there can not be a single _half_ but must be two _halves_, one should speak of dividing (the whole) into two or into halves rather than of cutting (it) in _half_.

~half-cock, to go off at~: A colloquial phrase denoting “to speak before one is ready”; not used by persons accustomed to refined diction.

~handful~: This word has for a plural _handfuls_. “Two _handfuls_ of flour” means a handful taken twice, whereas _hands full_ means both hands full. This last term is often erroneously written _handsful_.

~handy~: Properly said of articles on which one may lay the hand, or possibly of persons, as attendants, ready at hand for service. Applied to neighborhood, “near,” “near by,” “close at hand,” or the like are to be preferred.

~hang~: This verb has for its perfect tense and past participle two forms, _hanged_ and _hung_; but in the sense of execution (_sus per col_), the former term is alone correctly used, whereas in other senses the latter is applied. Thus, one may say, “A hat is _hung_ on a peg, but a murderer is _hanged_ on the gallows,” and _not_ that the hat is hanged _nor_ that the murderer is hung.

~hanger on~: A colloquialism for “a dependent or parasite:” the term is inelegant and therefore undesirable.

~hangs on~: As a substitute for “remains,” the expression finds no favor.

~happen~. Compare TRANSPIRE.

~happen in, to~: A colloquialism often met in rural districts and used for “to make a chance social call,” or “to drop in casually” as one passes by.

~happiness~. Compare PLEASURE.

~hard case~: An American colloquialism for a person of pronounced or curious type.

~hardly~. Compare SCARCELY.

~hardy~. Compare RUGGED.

~hasten~, ~hurry~: Although both words imply a celerity of action, the former presupposes consideration and is not opposed to good order, whereas the latter is indicative of perturbation and a measure of irregularity. Therefore these terms are not synonymous. Phelps in his “English Style in Public Discourse,” says “the first does not imply confusion; the second does.” Lexicographers do not restrict the meaning of _hurry_ to “to confuse by undue haste or suddenness,” but define it as “to cause to be done rapidly or more rapidly; accelerate.” You _hasten_ to congratulate but _hurry_ to catch a train.

~have~: On the use of this word the STANDARD DICTIONARY says; Used in the past tense following another past tense, a use often indiscriminately condemned, though sometimes proper and necessary. (1) _Improper construction._ Where what was “meant,” “intended,” or the like was, at the time when intended, some act (as of going, writing, or speaking) _future_ in its purpose and not _past_, and therefore not to be expressed by a _past tense_; as, “He meant _to have gone_” for “He meant _to go_”; “I meant _to have written_ to you, but forgot it,” for “I meant _to write_,” etc.; “I had intended _to have spoken_ to him about it,” for “I had intended _to speak_,” etc.; “I should like _to have gone_” for “I should have liked _to go_.” The infinitive with _to_ expresses the relation of an act as so conceived, so that both analogy and prevalent usage require “meant to go” instead of “meant to have gone.” Such construction, although occasional instances of it still occur in works of authors of the highest literary reputation, and still often heard in conversation, is now generally regarded as ungrammatical.

(2) _Proper construction._ The doubling of the past tenses in connection with the use of _have_ with a past participle is _proper and necessary_ when the completion of the future act was intended before the occurrence of something else mentioned or thought of. Attention to this qualification, which has been overlooked in the criticism of tense-formation and connection, is especially important and imperative. If one says, “I meant _to have visited_ Paris and _to have returned_ to London before my father _arrived_ from America,” the past infinitive in the dependent clause is necessary for the expression of the completion of the acts purposed. “I meant _to visit_ Paris and _to return_ to London before my father _arrived_ from America,” may convey suggestively the thought intended, but does not express it.

~have seen~, ~seen~, ~saw~: In combining words that denote time always observe the order and fitness of time. Do not say “I _have seen_ him last month”; say, rather, “I _saw_ him _last month_.” Nor say, “I _seen_ him _this week_”--a common error in grammar among the careless; say, rather, “I _have seen_ him _this week_,” a form that should be used also, instead of “I _saw_ him _this week_.”

~he~, ~she~, ~her~, ~him~, etc.: Pronouns often used incorrectly; inexcusable errors in the educated, which are illustrated by such expressions as “If I were _him_ (or _her_), I would,” etc. It should be “If I were _he_ (or _she_), I would,” etc.

~healthful~, ~healthy~: Discriminate carefully between these words. A _healthful_ thing is one efficacious in promoting or causing health; _healthy_ denotes condition or characteristics; as “a _healthy_ child”; “a _healthful_ climate.”

~heap~: A word sometimes used to designate a “large number.” A _heap_ is “a collection of things piled up so as to form an elevation”; any other application of the word is colloquial.

~hearty~: As applied to the appetite is so common at this day that it seems perhaps hypercritical to object to it; and the dictionaries of course give the sense, for it is the lexicographer’s duty to record the language as it exists _not_ as it ought to exist. That is _hearty_ which proceeds from the heart; to extend the sentiment to the appetite, or to a meal, or to its eater, as is done by common usage, seems taking a liberty with the word, and applying a fine and expressive term to a comparatively unworthy object.

~heir~: Pronounce without aspirating the _h_. Distinguish between _heir apparent_ and _heir presumptive_. The former is “one who must by course of law become the _heir_ if he survive his ancestor”; the latter, “one whose present legal expectation of becoming heir may be defeated by the birth of a person in near degree of relationship.” Thus, a man may to-day be _heir presumptive_ to his bachelor brother who by marriage may in a year’s time become the father of a son, who will then become _heir apparent_; and by this circumstance the claims of the former _heir presumptive_ are quashed.

The STANDARD DICTIONARY says: “_Heir_ is often colloquially applied to one who receives or is to receive a property by will. In legal terminology such a person is a _devisee_ or legatee, not an _heir_.” As an _heir_ does not exist till death either by will or operation of law, it is only by impropriety of speech that one talks of the heirs of the living.

~help~ has the meaning of “assist”; it has also the somewhat opposed meaning of “prevent, hinder, or refrain from.” This veiled negative makes the correct application of the word difficult. Take, for example, the sentence “Make no more noise than you can _help_.” I can not _help_ doing a thing is I can not refrain from doing it: that is, I can not _not_ do it, which means I must do it. The correct form of the sentence just given is shown by filling in the ellipsis, whence it appears that _not_ should also be supplied: “Make no more noise than (such as) you can (_not_) _help_ (making).” _Help_ includes _aid_, but _aid_ may fall short of the meaning of _help_.

~hence~, ~thence~, ~whence~: As in meaning these words embrace _from_ it is pleonastic to precede them by the word thus implied. Do not say, “go from hence,” “from thence he went to Rome,” “from whence did you come.” _From_ is redundant in all these sentences.

~hen-party~: A vulgar term for a social gathering of ladies. Compare STAG-PARTY.

~herd~: A term sometimes applied indiscriminately to persons as well as beasts. _Herd_ is correctly used to designate, “a number of animals feeding or herding together;” when applied to persons the true designation is “a disorderly rabble,” or “the lower classes,” as the vulgar _herd_.

~him and me~: It is a vulgar error to use the objective for the nominative. One should not say, “Him and me are going to Bermuda,” say, rather, “He and I (or preferably ‘we’) are going to Bermuda.” Do not say, “Between _you and I_,” but say, “Between _you and me_,” or “Between _us_.”

~hire~. Compare LEASE.

~holocaust~: A term sometimes misused owing to a lexicographical error which attributes to the word the meaning of “any great disaster.” According to this the Johnstown Flood, the Galveston storm, and the fire in the Paris bazaar all were holocausts, but this is erroneous. _Holocaust_ is derived from the Greek _holos_, entire, whole, and _kaustos_, burnt, and its principal meaning is “a sacrificial offering burnt whole or entirely consumed.” Figuratively, the term may be applied to destruction by fire, as the burning of the steamer “General Slocum” in the East River, New York, or the great fire in Baltimore, but not to loss as by shipwreck or collision unless attended by fire.

~holy~: The word means not only “morally excellent” but also “set apart for the service of God”; and therefore the criticism that “to keep _holy_ the Sabbath day” is a meaningless injunction as every day should be kept _holy_, is without merit. The word is derived from the Anglo Saxon and means “whole”; and the divine direction as to the Sabbath is, therefore, simply that the day be observed in its integrity.

~holy mackerel~: An inane expression commonly used to denote surprise and one to be avoided by all persons with pretentions to refined diction.

~hoodoo~: A colloquialism designating any person regarded as bringing ill luck, as a “Jonah,” on shipboard, in allusion to the Bible story of the prophet Jonah.

~horde~: This word means “a gathered multitude of human beings; a troop, gang, or crew; as the _hordes_ of Cambyses.” It is never correctly applied to things. Do not speak of a _horde_ of rubbish.

~horse sense~: A colloquial phrase designating “rough common sense” used by W. D. Howells in “Hazard of New Fortunes,” vol. i. p. 4.

~how?~ should never be used for “What did you say?” Nor in making a _request_ for the repetition of any statement not heard clearly or not readily understood. Condemned by Oliver Wendell Holmes in “A Rhymed Lesson,” st. 43.

“Do put your accents in the proper spot;
Don’t--let me beg you--don’t say “How?” for “What?”

~how~ is an adverb, but it is sometimes most inelegantly used as an interjection and very improperly used as a conjunction, which it is not. On this subject the STANDARD DICTIONARY says, “_How_, as an adverb, may be used as an interrogative or a relative in any of its senses. In old or vulgar usage it is sometimes nearly equivalent to the conjunction _that_: either (1) alone, as, he told me _how_ he had been left an orphan; or (2) in the phrases _how that_ and _as how_; as, he told _how that_ he saw it all; he told me _as how_ I angered him.”

~however~: As an adverb _however_ has proper and elegant use as, “_However_ wise one may be, there are limits to one’s knowledge.” But its use for _how_ and _ever_ as, “_However_ could he do it?” should be avoided as a vulgarism; while its employment in the sense of “at any rate; at all,” as in the example, “He tried to keep me, but I’m going, _however_,” is provincial and archaic.

As a conjunction it should not be used indiscriminately, as it often is used, for _but_ or _notwithstanding_. Not “He was sick; not, _however_, so seriously as he thought,” but “He was sick, _but_ not so seriously,” etc.; since the relation is sharply adversitive. “And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. _Notwithstanding_ (not _but_) they harkened not unto Moses”; since the preceding thought is represented as no impediment to the succeeding one. “I have not seen her since our quarrel; _however_ (not _but_, or _notwithstanding_), I expect to be recalled every hour”; since the relation is one of concession and simple transition, _however_ denoting that “in whatever manner or degree what precedes is valid, what follows nevertheless stands firm.”--STANDARD DICTIONARY.

~hung~ should never be used for _hanged_. Beef is _hung_; a murderer is _hanged_. Compare HANG.

~hunk, to get~: A vulgar phrase for “to get even” or “to retaliate upon.”

~hunky~ or ~hunky-dory~: Slang terms that should not be used for “all right”; “safe”; or “done satisfactorily.”

~hurry~. Compare HASTEN.