Present.Imperfect.Past Participle.lay,vt.laidlaidlie,vi.laylain
The identity of the present tense oflay,vt., with the imperfect tense oflie,vi., has led to the frequent confounding of the two in their literary usage.Lay(in the present tense) being transitive, is always followed by an object;lie, being intransitive, never has an object.Lay, in “Ilayupon thee no other burden,” is the present tense oflay,vt., having as its objectburden; in “Ilayunder the sycamore-tree in the cool shade,”layis the imperfect tense oflie,vi., having no object;laid, in “Ilaidthe book on the table,” is the imperfect tense oflay,vt., having as its objectbook. The presence or absence of an object, and the character of the verb as transitive or intransitive, may be decided by asking the question “Lay[orlaid]what?” The past participles of the two verbs (laidandlain) are also frequently confounded.Laidin tense-combinations is to be followed by a object always;lain, never; as, “He haslaid(notlain) the book on the table”; “He haslain(notlaid) long in the grave.”
The statement in present time, “The soldierlaysaside his knapsack andliesdown,” becomes as a statement of a past act; as, “The soldierlaidaside his knapsack andlaydown”; “The hen haslaidan egg”; “The egg haslain(too long) in the nest.”
In poetic phraseology especially, the transitivelay(in all its tenses) is used reflexively as an equivalent oflie,lay, etc., as in the following examples:
Intransitive.Transitive.Pres.Iliedown=Ilayme down.Imp.Ilay down=Ilaidme (myself) down.Fut.I willliedown=I willlayme (myself) down.Plup.I hadlaindown=I hadlaidme (myself) down.
learn,teach: Oncelearnwas good English for teach, and signified both the imparting as well as the acquiring of knowledge. An example of this use may be found in Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet) and the Book of Common Prayer, but general modern usage restrictslearnto the acquiring andteachto the imparting of knowledge.
least: Grammatical writers have reason on their side in objecting to the use of a superlative for a comparative. “Of two evils choose theless,” is better than “choose theleast.” A careful speaker will observe this form. SeeMOREandMOST.
leatheras a colloquialism for “thrash” should not be used by persons accustomed to refined diction.
leaseandhireare loosely used interchangeably. An agent says he has property tohire(=forhire) while the tenant says heleasesit. Strictly, the former leases and the latter hires.
leaveis used transitively and intransitively, but critics have objected to the latter use on the ground that the verbto leaveis not expressive of any occupation—does not, in fact, of itself convey any complete idea. It is true that if you speak you can speak only that which can be spoken, whereas if youleaveyou mayleavehome or any one of a thousand things; but as home (business or domestic) may be regarded as the chief of a man’s possessions, it has been fancifully treated as being the one all-important subject to which unqualified leaving applies. One certainly may say with propriety “He has just left”; “Weleaveto-morrow.” Avoid such locutions as “Leave me alone”; “leave her see it,” as illiterate. Useletinstead of leave.
left, to get: A slang phrase for “to be left behind; be beaten or outdone.” Avoid such a vulgarism as “Did you ever get left?”
legacy. CompareBEQUEST.
lend. CompareLOAN.
lengthen,lengthy: The verb means to “make or to grow longer.” Its participlelengthenedno moremeans “long” thanheightenedmeans “high” orstrengthenedmeans “strong.” It is correct to say “Helengthenedthe discourse, but it was still too short”; but not to say “He quoted alengthenedpassage from the sermon.” In the latter illustrationlengthyshould be used. A sermon islengthywhen “unusually or unduly long” (with a suggestion of tediousness), not when it is simply “long.”
lengthways,sideways,endways: Common but none the less undesirable variants oflengthwise,sidewise,endwise.
less. CompareFEW.
lessen. CompareREDUCE.
let her rip: Farmer, in his “Americanisms Old and New,” says, this “most vulgar of vulgarisms” is used to convey the idea of intensity of action. The phrase is coarse and should not be used as a substitute for “go ahead.”
level, on the: A vulgar intensive used to emphasize the fact that the thing stated is stated truthfully, or that the person spoken of is, to the speaker’s knowledge, upright and “on the square.” CompareSQUARE.
levy,levee: Exercise care in the use of these words.Levyis to impose and collect by force;levee, a morning reception.
liable,likely: The first of these words which is properly used as expressive of “having a tendency”is improperly used in referring to a contingent event regarded as “very probable.” Thus, though one should not say “It isliableto storm,” but “likelyto do so,” one may say, “the building isliableto be blown down by the storm.”
libel,slander: These are not synonymous terms.Libeldiffers fromslanderin that the latter is spoken whereas the former is written and published.
lick: An inelegant term used colloquially as a synonym for “effort”; as, “he put in his bestlicks.” Say, rather, “He put forth his best efforts.”
lid: A slang term for cover, hat, etc., used especially in the phraseskeeping the lid down,sitting on the lid, political colloquialisms for closing up places of business, as pool-rooms, saloons, etc., or keeping a political situation in control.
lie. CompareLAY.
lightening,lightning: The spelling of these words is sometimes confused.Lighteningis to relieve “of weight”; as, “tolightena burden”;lightningis a sudden flash of light due to pressure caused by atmospheric electricity. The shorter word designates the flash of light.
like, in the adverbial sense of “in the manner of,” as, “He speakslikea philosopher,” is correctly used, but the tendency to treat this word as a conjunction (which it is not) in substitution forasis altogether wrong. Do not say “DolikeI do”; say, rather,“DoasI do.” It is also a colloquialism, not sanctioned by good usage, to give the word the signification ofas if, as “I feltlikemy final hour had come”; and the use of the word as synonymous forsomewhatis a vulgarism. Say “He breathedsomewhatheavily”—not “heavylike.” Whenlikeis followed by an objective case, as “Be bravelikehim,” the prepositionuntomust be supplied by ellipsis. For this reason as for the fact thatlikehere has the force of a conjunction, introducing the implied phrase “he is brave,” it is better to say “Be braveashe is.”
like,love: Discriminate carefully between these words, which are often erroneously used interchangeably. A woman mayloveher children andlikefruit, but notlikeher children andlovefruit.
likewise. CompareALSO.
limb,leg: There exists an affected or prudish use of the wordlimbinstead ofleg, when the leg is meant, which can not be too severely censured. Such squeamishness is absurd.
limit, the: A vulgarism designating the extreme of any condition or situation: used indiscriminately of persons or conditions.
limited: Often erroneously used forsmall,scant,slight, and other words of like meaning; as, “He had alimited(slight) acquaintance with Milton”; “Sold at thelimited(loworreduced) price of one dollar”; “His pecuniary means were likely to remain quitelimited”—admissible if suggesting the reverse of unlimited wealth, otherwisesmallornarrow.
lineament,liniment: Thelineamentis the outline or contour of a body or figure, especially the face.Linimentis a medicated liquid, sometimes oily, which is applied to the skin by rubbing as for the relief of pain. Exercise care in spelling these words.
lip: A very vulgar substitute for “impudence.”
litin the sense oflightedis not used by careful speakers. Do not say “Wholit(but ‘wholighted’) the gas?”
lit on: A common error for “come across,” “met with,” which should be discountenanced. Do not say “Iliton the quotation by accident”; say, rather, “I came across the quotation.” Nor “Iliton him at the fair.” One does notlighton people whom one meets.
little. CompareFEW.
loan,lend: One may raise (put an end to) aloanby paying both principal and interest, and another maylendmoney to do so. The use ofloanas a verb, meaning, “to grant the loan of or lend, as ships, money, linen, provisions, etc.,” dates from the year 1200 and is accepted as good English. Some purists, however, characterize it colloquial.
lobster: A slang term used originally to designate a British soldier, probably, in the phraseboiled lobster, from his red coat: now applied indiscriminatelyto gullible persons, perhaps on account of the reputed gullibility of the British soldier.
lonely,solitary: These two words must not be confounded, for their meaning is not exactly the same, although the Latinsolitariusis derived fromsolus, alone.Solitaryindicates no more than absence of life or society;lonelysuggests the idea of being forsaken or isolated. Asolitaryperson is not of necessitylonely, even though he take asolitary walkin alonelyplace. A man is notlonelyif he is good company to himself.
look: In the intransitive sense of “seem,” this verb should be followed by an adjective, not an adverb. Thus, “helookskind (not kindly).” It is otherwise in the sense of “exercising the sense of sight.” Here the adverb is used to the exclusion of the adjective. “Helookskindly (not kind) upon the fallen foe.” Actions are qualified by adverbs, but adjectives qualify what one is or seems to be.
lotorlots: A slipshod colloquialism for “great many”; as, “We sold alotof tickets”; “He haslotsof friends”; to be avoided, as are all other vague, ill-assigned expressions, as tending to indistinctness of thought and debasement of language. CompareHEAP.
love. CompareLIKE.
lovelily: To the general exclusion of this word,lovelyis now made to do duty both as adverb and adjective.
lovely: A valuable word in proper use, as applied to that which is adapted and worthy to win affection; but as a colloquialism improperly applied indiscriminately to every form of agreeable feeling or quality. A bonnet islovely, so is a house, a statue, a friend, a poem, a bouquet, a poodle, a visit; and it is even said after an entertainment, “The refreshments werelovely!”—all examples of careless diction.
low-priced: Often confounded withcheap. A thing ischeapwhen its price is low compared with its intrinsic worth, it islow-pricedwhen but little is paid or asked for it. Alow-pricedarticle may bedear; acheaparticle may not below-priced; as, “One horse waslow-priced(he paid only $50 for it), and it wasdearat that price; the other cost him $500, but wascheapat that price.”
luridshould not be used forbrilliant.Luridmeans “giving a ghastly, or dull-red light, as of flames mingled with smoke, or reflecting or made visible by such light.”
luxuriant,luxurious: These words are not identical in sense. The former signifies growth, as “hair ofluxuriantgrowth”; the latter implies luxury, as “luxuriousease.”
“But grace abused brings forth the fondest deeds,As richest soil the mostluxuriantweeds.”“And send the sentinel before your gateA slice or two from yourluxuriousmeals.”
“But grace abused brings forth the fondest deeds,As richest soil the mostluxuriantweeds.”“And send the sentinel before your gateA slice or two from yourluxuriousmeals.”
“But grace abused brings forth the fondest deeds,As richest soil the mostluxuriantweeds.”
“But grace abused brings forth the fondest deeds,
As richest soil the mostluxuriantweeds.”
“And send the sentinel before your gateA slice or two from yourluxuriousmeals.”
“And send the sentinel before your gate
A slice or two from yourluxuriousmeals.”
mad: Used for “angry” by the careless or the indifferent. A colloquialism not in vogue among persons who use refined diction.Madmay, however, be used correctly to designate a condition of overmastering emotion, intense excitement, or infatuation due to grief, terror, or jealousy; asmadwith grief;madwith terror. Formerly used correctly as a synonym for “angry” it is now used only colloquially in this sense.Mad, in the present day, denotes a species of insanity.
main guy: A vulgar phrase derived from circus cant in which it designates the chief guy-rope as of a tent. It is commonly used to designate the manager of an establishment, or the person in charge of an undertaking.
make: Often used incorrectly for “earn.” Do not say “How much does hemakea week?” Say, rather, “How much does heearna week?”
man. CompareGENT.
manifest. CompareAPPARENT.
manner born, to the: A phrase often incorrectly writtento the manorfrom a faulty knowledge of its meaning—familiar with something from birth, or born to the use or manner of the thing or subject referred to.
marine,maritime,naval,nautical: There are distinctions among these words.Marineandmaritime, from the Latinmare, the sea, signify belonging to the sea;naval, from the Latinnavis, a ship, signifies belonging to a ship;nauticalfrom the Latinnauta, a sailor, signifies belonging to a sailor or to the sailor’s pursuit, navigation. Amaritimenation must be well supplied withmarinestores, must have a largenavalforce and be skilled in mattersnautical.
marry: Now used correctly of both acceptance in marriage and union in matrimony: formerly condemned as incorrect.
masses: Themasses, in the sense of the common people, the great body of the people, exclusive of the wealthy or privileged, has so entered into popular speech that the expression is now beyond criticism, although exception has been taken to it, on the ground that the subject of the mass should be specifically named. Themassesof what?
matineefrom the Frenchmatin, morning, is strictly a morning reception; and to talk of an “afternoonmatinée” is therefore, if not a solecism, a contradiction in terms. Still nowadays the word is used to mean anafternoonrather than amorningreception, or entertainment.
me: “It isI,” never “It isme.” And so with all personal pronouns following the verbto beand in apposition with its subject. The same form of error is constantly made in such phrases as “She is better looking thanme,” where, if the elliptical verb were supplied, the correct construction would readily be seen to be “She is better looking thanI(am).”
mean: A word often erroneously used. Its generic meaning is “common” and therefrom it has been accepted as meaning “of humble origin, of low rank or quality, of inferior character or grade” and is used in England as a synonym for “miserly in expenditure, stingy.” In the United States it is commonly misused as a substitute for “ill-tempered; disagreeable.”
mean. CompareINTEND.
means: Asmeansorsome meanscovers “any means,” it is pleonastic to write “by some means or another.” For the same reasonsome means or othermay be condemned; its only excuse is that “other” refers not to “means” but qualifies the word “procedure” (understood). If this form of speech is desired, the correct utterance would beone mean or another.
memorandashould never be used as a singular. It is the plural ofmemorandumand the distinction should always be observed in speech or writing.
meormy going: Erroneous combinations sometimes used by persons careless with their diction. Do not say “Instead ofme(ormy)goingto London I went to Bermuda”; say, rather, “Instead of going....” Here “me” and “my” are redundant.
merely: Sometimes misused forsimply.Merelyimplies no addition;simply, no admixture or complication;e. g., “The boys were theremerelyas spectators; it issimplyincredible that they should have so disgraced themselves”; “It issimplywater.”
midst: TheStandard Dictionaryhas the following: “In our, your, or theirmidst, in themidstof us, you, or them: a form pronounced analogically irreproachable by Fitzedward Hall, inModern Englishp. 50, but objected to by some authorities.” Dr. William Mathews is one of these. In his work on “Words: their Use and Abuse,” he asks “Would any one say ‘In our middle?’... The possessive pronoun can properly be used only to indicate possession or appurtenance.”
mightyused as a synonym forvery,exceedingly, orextraordinarilyis colloquial but borders on the vulgar. “Mightyfine,” “Amightyshame,” “Mightydoubtful” are phrases to be avoided.
misspell: Do not write this wordmispell. Its component parts aremis+spell, and it retains the doubles.
mistakable: Although formerly correctlymistakeablethis word does not now retain the “e” after the “k”—an evidence of spelling reform along lines of least resistance due probably to phonology.
mistaken: Originallymistakemeant “to take amiss, misconceive, or misunderstand,” and on this account some persons claim thatyou are mistakenmeans “you are misunderstood”; and that when this observation is made it expresses precisely the reverse of the meaning that the speaker desires to convey. According to them to tell a man he ismistaken,that is, misunderstood, is a very different thing from telling him that he mistakes or personally misunderstands.
TheStandard Dictionarytreating this word says: The anomalous use ofmistakenhas naturally attracted the attention of speech-reformers; we ought to mean, “You are misapprehended or misunderstood,” they tell us, when we say “You aremistaken,” and if we mean “You are in error,” we ought to say so. But suppose the alleged misuse ofmistakengives rise to no misunderstanding whatever—that everybody, high or low, throughout the English-speaking world, knows what is meant when one says “You aremistaken”—in that case, to let alone seems to be wisdom. The corruption, if it be one, has the sanction not only of universal employment, but of antiquity.
mitten: An obsolete substitute for glove now revived as a colloquialism in the phraseto get the mitten, that is “to get the glove with the hand withdrawn: said of a rejected suitor for a lady’s hand.” An allied phrase isto give the mitten to. None of these is used in polite society.
moment,minute: These words are not exactly synonymous. Amomentis an infinitesimal part of time; as, “in amoment, in the twinkling of an eye” (I Cor.XV.52). Aminuteis the sixtieth part of an hour. One does not take aminuteto wink the eye.
monetary. CompareFINANCIAL.
moneys, notmonies, although often so (improperly) spelt. The rule is clear. Words ending inynecessarily have as their penultimate letter either a vowel or a consonant. If a vowel the plural is formed by addings; if a consonant by changing theyintoies. Thus,boy,boys;baby,babies.
money to burn: A slang phrase used to denote possession of ample means.
more: Superlatives are often used, though improperly in a comparison of two. “He is themorepromising pupil of the two”—notmost. Certain scrupulously careful writers, as Augustine Birrell, will even write “themorepart,” instead of the customary “themostpart”; and this usage, though possibly pedantic, is in other respects to be commended.
more strictly correct: A pleonasm. A correct statement may for the sake of emphasis be qualified asstrictly correct. If “more strictly correct” is good grammar then “most strictly correct” would be also. Both sentences are erroneous.
more than probable: That which isprobableis likely to happen, but that which ismore than probableis almost sure to happen. To object to “more than probable,” as some persons do, one would have to show that “probable” was absolute and incapable of degrees of comparison, whence of course it is a matter of common observation that some things are highly probable, while others are barely so. That alover of truth will speak the truth is highly probable, whereas that a confirmed liar will do so is so little probable that the probabilities are on the other side.
’most: Often used colloquially but incorrectly for “almost”; an inexcusable and unwarranted abbreviation. Do not say “my work ismostdone”; say rather, “... isalmostdone.”Mostis used occasionally and correctly for “very”—a use that some writers condemn as incorrect but which is sanctioned by literary usage. Shakespeare says: “So, Sir, heartily well met, andmostglad of your company.”—Coriolanus, iv. 3.
mostis well used as a superlative.Mostperfect, thorough, intense, complete, extraordinary, are in common use and have the support of literary usage.
Frederic Johnston says: “Concerning the phrase ‘most perfect’ some question might be raised. ‘Perfect’ means, literally, ‘made through, to the end,’ ‘utterly finished,’ therefore, of supreme excellence. In that case, ‘more’ and ‘most’ perfect are meaningless. We are to remember, however, that the literal is not always the true meaning of a word. Thus ‘melancholy’ does not mean full of ‘black bile,’ but ‘gloomy’ for any reason. Moreover, it has of late been pointed out by the best authorities that the true sense of a word is not what itoughtto mean, but what itdoesmean, in the mouths and ears of the upper half of the people. And there can be little doubt that ‘perfect,’ in this case, merely expresses great ratherthan supreme excellence. We may even say, further, that the word in its original sense could not be used without a qualifying word (as ‘nearly perfect’ for example) in a world in which nothing is utterly free from defect. To go about saying that things are ‘nearly perfect’ would be gross pedantry.”
For the sanction of literary usage see the quotations:
“It would be strange, doubtless, to call this the best of Burns’s writings: we mean to say, only, that it seems to us themost perfectof its kind as a piece of poetical composition strictly so called.”—Carlyle,Essay on Burns, referring to his poem “The Jolly Beggars.”
“It would be strange, doubtless, to call this the best of Burns’s writings: we mean to say, only, that it seems to us themost perfectof its kind as a piece of poetical composition strictly so called.”—Carlyle,Essay on Burns, referring to his poem “The Jolly Beggars.”
“Our battle is more full of names than yours,Our menmore perfectin the use of arms.”—Shakespeare,2 Hen. IV. iv. 1.
“Our battle is more full of names than yours,Our menmore perfectin the use of arms.”—Shakespeare,2 Hen. IV. iv. 1.
“Our battle is more full of names than yours,Our menmore perfectin the use of arms.”
“Our battle is more full of names than yours,
Our menmore perfectin the use of arms.”
—Shakespeare,2 Hen. IV. iv. 1.
“Most perfectgoodness.”—Cymbelinei. 7.
“Most perfectgoodness.”—Cymbelinei. 7.
“Most perfectgoodness.”—Cymbelinei. 7.
“Most perfectgoodness.”—Cymbelinei. 7.
mought: Although recorded by the dictionaries as the imperfect of “may” and often used formight, the use is one which does sufficient violence to euphony to be characterized as undesirable.
muchly: Although formerly in vogue is now obsolete and stigmatized as slang, and as such to be avoided.
mug; A vulgar characterization for the human face.
murderousshould not be used for “dangerous” or “deadly.”
music. SeeCHIN.
Mussulman: The plural of this word is formed by addings—MussulmansnotMussulmen. Here the word “man” is no component part ofMussulman.
mutual,common: These words are often confounded and have been so by writers of correct English.Mutualimplies interchange;commonbelonging to more than two persons. Before the middle of the eighteenth century,mutualhad two meanings: “joint” or “common,” and “reciprocal.” When Dr. Samuel Johnson published his great dictionary he gave it but one meaning, that ofreciprocal, and, his authority as a scholar having grown so great, this meaning became considered the only one which might be correctly given to the word. “Mutual,” says Crabb, “supposes a sameness in condition at the same time;reciprocalsupposes an alternation or succession of returns.” Thus we properly speak of “ourcommoncountry,mutualaffection,reciprocalobligations.” Whilemutualapplies to the acts and opinions of persons, and therefore to what is personal, it is not applicable to persons. Macaulay condemned the phrase “mutualfriend” as a low vulgarism. A “commonfriend” is certainly more accurate but unfortunately carries with it the disagreeable idea of inferiority, and probably for this reason is seldom or never used. There is authority of such prolific writers as Scott and Dickens for “mutualfriend,” but the rapidity with which they wrote their books may suggest that they paid little heed to such refinements of language as did Macaulay. Yet centuries of English literature authorize the employment ofmutualin the sense ofjointorcommon.On the other hand, the very strong disapproval with which this and like uses ofmutualare regarded by many writers of good taste may not unreasonably be considered as sufficient ground for avoidingmutual friendand kindred expressions. “Mutualfriends,” says Phelps, “would not be accurate” meaning that two persons are friends each to the other.
my. CompareME.
myself: An emphatic pronoun sometimes misused for “I” or “me”; as, “The property was willed to my wife andmyself.” For “myself” substitute “to me” and the sentence is correct. “Myself” is used correctly with a reflexive verb, that is, one whose object, expressed or implied, denotes the same person or thing as the subject;e. g., “I will controlmyself.”
nasty: This word should not be applied to that which is merely “disagreeable,” asnastyweather, for strong terms should not be robbed of their significance by being applied to conditions which could only be referred to in such terms by exaggeration. A pigsty is properly termednasty, as there filth finds its habitat, and an obscene book isnastyas morally foul.
naught. CompareOUGHTunderAUGHT.
need,needs: As an adverbneedis now obsolete;needsmeans “necessarily.” Do not say “asneedhe must,” say, rather, “asneedshe must.”
neglect,negligence: The meanings of these words are sometimes confused.Neglectis the act of failing to perform something, as a duty or task, to leave undone;negligenceis thehabitualomission of that which should be done.Negligenceis a trait of character whileneglectmay result from preoccupation. Fernald in “Synonyms, Antonyms, and Prepositions,” says: “Neglectis transitive,negligenceis intransitive; we speak ofneglectof his books, friends, or duties, in which case we could not usenegligence.”
negociate,negotiate: The first, now obsolete, was the spelling formerly in vogue; the second is the correct spelling of to-day.
neither,either: For “none” and “any one,” is not the best usage; “That he [Shakespeare] wrote the plays which bear his name we know; but ... we do not know the years ... in whicheither(correctly,any one) of them was first performed”; “Peasant, yeoman, artisan, tradesman, and gentleman could then be distinguished from one another almost as far as they could be seen. Except in cases of unusual audacity,neither(correctly,no one, ornone) presumed to wear the dress of his betters.”
neither,nor: In considering these words theStandard Dictionarysays: “As disjunctive correlatives, each accompanied by a singular nominative, often incorrectly followed by a plural verb form; as,‘neitherhenorIwere(correctlywas) there.’”Neither, that is,not either, means not the one nor the other of two. “Through diligence he attained a position which heneitheraspired tonorcoveted”—the proper correlative to use here isnor.
nerve: A slang term sometimes used as a substitute for “impudence,” “over-assurance” or “independence,” any one of which is preferable.
never,not: While literary authority sanctions the use ofneverfornotin cases where a lapse of considerable time is thought of, as, “I shall be there—neverfear” (fordo notfear now, or at any time in the interim, that I shall disappoint you), it does not justify its use in a sentence where the time referred to is momentary or short. The emphatic use of this adverb in the sense of not a single one, not at all, is perfectly good, as instanced by Coleridge—“Andnevera saint took pity on my soul in agony.” But the usage will not sanction an extension to things which, from their very nature, could take place—as, say, death—but once. Thus, do not say “Robert Fultonneverinvented the steamboat”; say, rather, “Robert Fultondid notinvent the steamboat.” “Paul Joneswas neverborn in the United States” is incorrect. Say “...was notborn in the United States.” Do not say “I met him to-day but henevermentioned the subject.” Say, rather “... but hedid notmention the subject.”
never so: Often misused forever sofrom which it should be carefully discriminated.Never someans “to an extent or degree beyond the actual or conceivable; no matter how.” In common useever so, meaning no more than “very” or “exceedingly,” is often confounded with and used fornever so.
never mean: A common slip of the tongue in such phrases as “Inever meanto” which is frequently used when “Imean neverto” is intended. CompareDON’T.
nibs: A vulgar title given usually satirically, to a person in authority; as “Hisnibssailed to-day”: a term to avoid.
nice: This word has undergone a peculiar transformation in sense. Derived from the Latinnescius, ignorant, and originally meaning “ignorant, silly weak,” it has now come to signify “characterized by discrimination and judgment, acute, discerning; as, anicecriticism.” The word has, however, also been used colloquially in the sense of “pleasing, jolly, or socially agreeable; as, anicegirl,” and the use has been condemned but is too well established to be abandoned.
nicelyas a colloquialism for “very well”—as “He is doingnicely”—should be avoided.
nifty: A vulgarism for “stylish.”
nightly,nocturnal: These words do not have the same signification. The one means night by night,the other happening at night. A man hasnightlysleep in which he suffers fromnocturnaldreams.
no: According to criticsnonever properly qualifies a verb, that is, it should never be substituted for “not.” But the practise has literary sanction.
no: Often used for “any” by the illiterate. Do not say “We didn’t seenoflats”; say, rather, “We did not seeanyflats.”
nobby: A vulgar synonym for “having an elegant or flashy appearance; showy; stylish”: haberdasher’s cant. CompareNIFTY.
nohow: A vulgarism for “in no way” or “by no means.” If after a negative, say “in any way,” “by any means,” “at all.” “I don’t believe in themnohow” should be “I don’t believe in themin the least,” or “at all.”
nominate: Distinguish from “denominate,” which is now only an obsolete sense of the word. Tonominateis to designate or specify; as, “Is it sonominatedin the bond?” whereas to “denominate” is to give a name or epithet to. Washington wasnominatedpresident, but wasdenominated“Father of his country.”
nominatives: The coupling of singular and plural. What number, singular or plural, shall the verb take. It couples two sentences—one on either side—the one having a singular nominative and the other a plural. As to which sentence shall be first and which second, there is commonly but little compulsion: it is a matter of choice. But should this choice affect the verb?—“The wages of sinisdeath.” “Deathisthe wages of sin.” It is merely a matter of taste in forceful diction which nominative shall precede. Yet which is to govern the number of the verb? “What we seekisriches”; “Richesarewhat we seek”—Probably these two forms of one idea best illustrate the better usage, which appears to be that the verb is dependent upon the nominative which precedes. In explanation of the scriptural phrase, it may be stated that although the prevailing rule with the translators of the Bible appears to have been to use plural verbs when either nominative was plural (that is, in all such cases), still “Death,” being here that upon which special emphasis is laid and to which attention is particularly drawn, is permitted to govern the verb.
no more: Often incorrectly used for “anymore.” Do not say “I don’t want to see youno more”; but “I don’t want to see youany more,” or “again.”
none: Although etymologically equivalent tonot(a single)onethis word is commonly used as a singular under a mistaken idea that it can not be used correctly as a plural, but many writers of standard English have used it as a plural. TheStandard Dictionaryauthorizes the use of the word both as a singular and plural according to the meaning of the context. Where the singular or the plural equally expresses the sense, the plural is commonly used andis justified by the highest authority. “Did you buy melons?” “Therewere nonein the market.” “Did you bring me a letter?” “Therewas nonein your box.” “Noneof the three caseshavebeen received” is correct. In illustrating this point theStandard Dictionarygives the following quotation: “Mind says one, soul says another, brain or matter says a third, but none of theseareright.” And says, “In the preceding quotation the ‘are,’ altho ungrammatical, connects ‘right’ with any one of the persons named—not with any one of the things named. Ifisbe substituted for ‘are,’ ‘right’ may be as reasonably connected with ‘mind,’ ‘soul,’ or ‘brain’ as with the persons (or classes of persons) spoken of.”Noneused with a plural verb is found repeatedly in such English classics as the works of Bacon and Shakespeare, as well as in the Authorized Version of the Bible.
nor,or: Discriminate carefully between these words when using them afternoandnot. In such a sentence as “He hasnocashorcredit,” the word “credit” is used as an alternative for “cash,” and merely, though perhaps redundantly, to amplify the thought. But if one says “He hasnocashnorcredit” the meaning is very different, and implies he is without both, “credit” being here considered as an additional asset. In more involved statements the distinction may be of great importance. “Willordisposition,” “powerorfaculty,” may be but pairs of synonyms. The locution “willnordisposition” “powernorfaculty,” distinguishes the two members of a pair as different.
not. CompareNEVER.
notable: Discriminate carefully between the different meanings of this word. Ano'tableevent is an event worthy of note; anot'ablewoman is one who exercises care or skill or is prudent as in housewifery.
noted. CompareNOTORIOUS.
nothing like: Not to be used adverbially fornot nearly. Do not say “He wasnothing likeas handsome as his brother,” but “He wasnot nearlyso handsome,” etc.
nothing to nobody: An ungrammatical phrase used for “no one’s business.” Say, rather, “not anything to any one.”
not on your life: A vulgar phrase for “not by any means.”
notoriousis so commonly applied to that which is unfavorably known to the general public, as anotoriouscrime, just asnotedis applied to that which is favorably distinguished, as anotedspeech, that it is well not to confound the expressions, but to reserve their use for their own several functions. However, the rule is not invariably followed; for the following expression by Spencer, on “Education” is good. “It isnotoriousthat the mind like the body, can not assimilate beyond a certain rate.”
no use: Often incorrectly used for “ofno use.” Do not say “It’sno useto discuss it with you,” say, rather, “It isof no useto discuss it.”
novice. CompareAMATEUR.
numbershould not be used with such words asinnumerableandnumerous, which themselves contain the idea ofnumber(Latinnumerus). Say “Acountlessnumber,” not “aninnumerablenumber.”
numerous: Often misused formany. Do not say “numerouscattle were in pasture”; say, rather, “Manycattle were in pasture.”
nutty: Used in the sense “lacking in intelligence,” this word is a vulgarism to be avoided.
obnoxious: Formerly this word meant “liable, amenable, subject,” but the meaning is sometimes forgotten in the more recently acquired sense, “odious, hurtful.” This difference is beautifully illustrated by a question propounded to Dean Alford—“Which of these two is right, ‘Death isobnoxiousto man’ or ‘Men areobnoxiousto death?’” Death, or the idea of death, is certainly distasteful to most men, but, this notwithstanding, all men are subject to death.
observance: Distinguish fromobservation. Though the act of observing is signified by both, it is, as regardsobservance, in the sense of holding sacred, whereas, so far asobservationis concerned itis in the sense of making examination or careful note. Thus there is anobservanceof the law, but anobservationof the works of nature.
occupancy,occupation: The wordoccupancydiffers only slightly fromoccupationin meaning. The first refers rather to the state or fact of possession, while the second carries with it an idea of the rights or results of suchoccupancy. The right or legal fact ofoccupancyentitles a person tooccupationat will. One may speak of theoccupancyof a domain and theoccupation, not occupancy, of a region by troops.
occur,take place: These terms are not always synonymous.Occurrencesare due to chance or accident but thingstake placeby arrangement. CompareTRANSPIRE.
of: That the force of this word is not fully understood is proved by the fact that many ministers choose to omit it from the title of Scriptural books. Dean Alford in referring to the habit of announcing “The Book Genesis” instead of “The BookofGenesis,” says, “This simply betrays the ignorance of the meaning of the prepositionof. It is used to denote authorship, as the BookofDaniel; to denote subject matter, as the first BookofKings; and as a note of apposition signifyingwhich is called, as the BookofGenesis.... The pedant, who ignoresofin the reading-desk must however, to be consistent, omit it elsewhere: I left the city London, and passed throughCounty Kent, leaving realm England at town Dover.”Ofis also frequently misused forfrom. Nothing but custom can justify the common form of receipt, “Receivedof...”.
of any: Sometimes used incorrectly forof all; as, “This is the finestof anyI have seen”; say, rather, “finerthan any other,” or “finestof all.”
off of: The prepositionoff, when noting origin and used in the sense offromis frequently followed most ungrammatically byof. No well educated person would say “I got these eggsoff ofFarmer Jones,” nor would they “buy a steakoff ofthe butcher” but “of” or “from” him.Offshould not be used of a person, wherefromwould suffice. You take a bookfrom, notoff, your friend; who may take itoffa shelf. You do not even, in correct speech, take a contagious diseaseoffhim, as though it were something visible and tangible, and were bodily removed from his person.
official: A term sometimes used incorrectly forofficer. Anofficialis one holding public office or performing duties of a public nature; usually he is a subordinate officer; anofficeris one who holds an officeby election or appointment, especially a civil office, as under a government, municipality, or the like.
of the name of. CompareBY THE NAME OF.
older,oldest: These terms are, according to best usage, applied only to persons belonging to differentfamilies or to things, as, Lincoln wasolderthan Hay; this book is theoldestin the library. CompareELDER,ELDEST.
onis frequently used whereinwould be preferable. Fitz-Greene Halleck once said to a friend, “Why do people persist in sayingonBroadway? Might they not as well say Our Father, who artonHeaven?”
once in a way(or while): A colloquialism for “now and then,” better expressed by a single word, asoccasionally.
one: Used sometimes as in writing narrative instead of “I,” “he,” or “a.” Bain (“Higher Eng. Grammar”) says: “Oneshould be followed byoneand not byhe(nor for that matter byIora); as, ‘Whatonesees or feels,onecan not be sure thatonesees or feels.’” To begin withoneand to continue with any one of the substitutes suggested would not only be incorrect but would confuse the reader.
one another. CompareEACH OTHER.
one-horse: A slang term for “second rate”; implying “of inferior capacity, quality or resources.”
only: This word, whose correct position depends upon the intention of the author, is often misplaced. The examples of the uses ofonlyhere given will serve to illustrate correct usage. “Onlyhis father spoke to him”; hereonlymeans that of all persons who might have spoken, but one, his father, spoke to him. “His fatheronlyspoke to him” implies that his father“onlyspoke” and did not scold him, which, perhaps, he might have felt his duty called upon him to do. “His father spokeonlyto him” means that, of all the persons present, his father chose to speak to him alone, but this sentence may perhaps be more lucidly expressed “His father spoke to himonly.”
on the level. See underLEVEL.
on the street. CompareIN THE STREET;ON.
onto: A word meaning “upon the top of,” avoided by purists as colloquial or vulgar. Condemned by Phelps as a vulgarism but now gradually growing in popularity. Inasmuch as its form is analogous tointo,unto,upon, all of which are sanctioned by best usage, Phelps’s condemnation is perhaps a little premature. The word has been objected to by some critics as redundant or needless. “Considered as a new word (it is in reality a revival of an old form), it conforms to the two main neoteristic canons by which the admissibility of new words is to be decided. (SeeHall,Modern English, pp. 171, 173.) It obeys the analogy ofin to=into. It may also be held to supply an antecedent blank, as may be shown by examples. It never should be employed whereonis sufficient; but simpleonafter verbs of motion may be wholly ambiguous, so thaton to, meaning ‘to or toward andon,’ may become necessary to clear up the ambiguity. ‘The boy fellonthe roof’ may mean that he fell whileonthe roof, or that he fell, as from the chimney-topor some overlooking window,tothe roof so as to beonit; but if we say ‘The boy fellon tothe roof,’ there is no doubt that the latter is the meaning. The canons for deciding the eligibility of new words appear therefore to claim foron tothe right to struggle for continued existence and general acceptance.” So says Dr. I. K. Funk in theStandard Dictionary.
O,Oh: Although often used indiscriminately it is generally conceded that “O” is used to express exclamation or direct address while “oh” is used to express the emotion of joy, pain, sorrow, or surprise. See the examples.