OBJECTIONABLE WORDS AND PHRASES.
Reading edition
A day or two, a man or two, &c. [Say, two or three days, a few days; two or three men, a few men; &c. There is lack of agreement in a day or two, a man or two. A somewhat similar error occurs in, “With this, as with many other matters.” The expression should be: “With this, as with many another matter.”]
Authoress, poetess, &c. [Such words may be used if the gender is to be pointed out. Otherwise, the ordinary forms—author, poet, &c.—are sufficient]
Accountable, unaccountable.
Answerable, unanswerable.
Antagonize.
Aborigene [in the singular].
A bit [at all, a little; as: “I am a bit tired”], not a bit [not at all].
Confirmed invalid.
Cablegram. [Use telegram or telegraphic message.]
Down East, down South. [Say: “I am going to the South.” “I live in the East.” “He practised at the South.”]
Desirability and undesirability.
Direful. [This word is not properly formed, as dire is not a noun.]
Defalcate and defalcation [in the sense of making default]. Defalcate, correctly used, is to cut off or lop off.
Desiderate [for desire].
Deceased [for the late, the dead one, &c.], except in legal and other formal expressions.
Every once in a while. [Say, once in a while, sometimes, frequently.]
Electropathy, hydropathy, &c. [Pathein is, to suffer; not, to cure.]
Effectuate.
Enjoy oneself. [Say, “I enjoyed the concert;” not, “I enjoyed myself at the concert.”]
Eventuate.
Environment. [Use surroundings.]
Emasculate.
Go ahead.
Help [in the sense of to avoid]. Say: “I cannot avoid doing so;” not, “I cannot help doing so.”
Have got [for have]. Get is generally superfluous, and should be used as little as possible.
Impute. [Use ascribe.]
Ignore.
Lose oneself. [Say, “He was lost—or became lost—or lost his way—in the wood.”]
Line of goods.
Lots [for much or many].
Malaprop. [Use mal-à-propos; unsuitable, unseasonable, or the corresponding adverbs.]
More guilty, most guilty; less guilty, least guilty. [One is either guilty or not guilty, of a crime; although one may be guilty of a greater or a less crime. A similar remark applies to guiltless and innocent. These adjectives should properly be used of individual acts only.]
Necessitate.
Opine.
Out West. [Say: “He goes West (or, to the West).” “I live in the West (or, at the West).”]
Out of [for of, with names of materials]. Say: “The box is made of [not, out of] wood.”
Ponder over. [Use ponder alone.]
Practitioner. [This word is incorrectly formed.]
Presidential. [The adjective—if formed at all—ought to be presidental. Presidential campaign is a very inelegant and ill-constructed expression.]
Proven [for proved]. Gotten maybe used for got; but not proven for proved.
Particle [a little or somewhat], not a particle [not at all].
Rostrum [for platform, pulpit]. If any form of this word is to be used, it should be the plural, rostra.
Rehabilitate [for reïnstate].
Recuperate [for recover].
Right off.
Right away.
Reliable, unreliable. [Use trustworthy, untrustworthy.]
Repudiate. [Use condemn or disown.]
Spread [in the sense of meal, feast, banquet].
Suicide, as a verb. [Say, commit suicide.]
Scientist. [Use scientific man, savant, &c. If a noun with this meaning is to be formed from science, it ought to be sciencist, not scientist.]
Stump, in the sense of platform; as: “He took the stump.”
Seeming paradox. [A paradox is a seeming contradiction. Seeming paradox is, therefore, tautological.]
Tiresome. [Use wearisome or tedious. Tiresome is incorrectly formed, tire not being a noun.]
That much, that little, [for so much, so little, or as much as that, as little as that].
Up North. [Say: “I live at (or in) the North.” “He goes to the North.”]
Voice [as a verb]. Say: “He expressed—or gave expression to—the sentiments of his followers;” not, “He voiced,” &c.
Yours, ours, mine, &c., [for your, our, my, &c., letter]. Say: “I have received your letter of yesterday;” not, “I have received yours of yesterday.”