New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-04-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Good ENGLISH.

GOOD ENGLISH.
GOUID limo pp 22a W J. Widdleton
In the absence of Academy, like the French
whose decisions are received as authority in the use
OF language the preservation Of the purity and cor
rectness of our mother tongue depends, in great de-
gree, on the consent and example of the educated
The English language presents so many anomalies Oh
construction, such frequent exceptions to apparent
analogies that plain people may easily despair OF at
tanning verbal propriey IN this world, ana Dene'e'
like the good woman have heard OF, that lhey
will never be able 20 speak dramatically until 'ney
GO TO Heaven In this country, especially there is
tendency to loose habits OF speech, on account Oh
ON freedom from the Observation-Disclosures OF European
society The consequence Of this is certain
eccentrictv of expression as well as OF manner we
have no precedents 10 follow numerous points of
etiouette we give larger indulgence to the sentiment
of individuality, we think more Of our own whlns
and caprces than of any rules Of social intercourse
and hence are apt TO speak the words that rst come
TO our lips rather than to follow the usages that are
sanctioned by custom and authority Couuptons
thus spring up in the language of common life; they
coon creep into newspapers and the lighter literature
of theday and gradually adopted even by writers
who aim at the employment of pure Enghsh
style II the duty of every educated man to set his
face against the innovations which disfgure the Ian
vigilance. where no verbal tribunal forms court of
final appeal and TINS to aid in the creation of body
of common law which shall have the force of
statute.
The author of the present volume, we accordingly
think has done a useful service in pointing out
several of the errors which have found their way
into popular discourse. His suggestions, 1t is true
can for the most part, claim little nOvety IN many
Eases their correctness may be called in question: be
h by no means infalble, rs guide to purity OF
diction; but his remarks usually show excellent
sense and certain nice instinct of the prophecies
of language which is even more important than the.
study of grammatical rules. good ear and lively
apprehension often stand speaker or writer In good
stead, when the memory of principles is at fault.
Among the errors in the phraseology of the day.
Mr. Gould first treats of the use of spurious words
One of these ilegitimate intTuders into decent so
Eia circles is the word eOpardso instead of leopard
which he pitieSsly turns out of doors. He supposes
that it was foisted in by some ambitious wight who
fanced that the true and good old English word was
DOT fine enough for ears polite. lie might as well
have made the same improvement, says MI Could,
On hazard Hasardize is no worse than oOpardzf nor
is pilise nor even eHdGHGerizG except from its I'M
wieldy length. He shows as little mercy to another
nteroper that is frequently seen nowadays in good
company, that is, leHieRcg used instead OF tnHy
Nothing can justify the use of that barbar0us word
1t sprang up among the Ignorant it has no precedent
IN our language it is wholly superfuOus and if sane
toned by the example of recent writer's of good au-
tborty it is none the less pathological abortion"
Donate is another abominaton but as the of that
word is almost entirely confined TO illiterate news
paper reporters and members of Congress- 1t calls for
no further remark
A very good section of the volume is devoted to
the subject of misused words" although the author
now and then offers criticism which we think Will
not bear examination. But that" for instance, IN
stead of but he remarks is a fayOrite combination
with some writers, and good writers do not always
escape from it. The phrase is bad enough in itself
but it leads to the vugarsm of bit Whdt as IN
the genial reply of Mr.. JObling of Bleak House,
THANK you, Guppy don't know but rhdt Will
take a marrow pudding" Or as a famous New-York
poet replied to friend who asked whether he was TO
bring out the latest production of his Muse the
present season. Il don't know9 bit ,chat shall"
Another vile expression which may be found every
day in the newspapers is like this, General Grant
and his family have arrived in town, and stopping
at the Fifth Avenue Hotel" On reading such an
announcement, one is tempted to inquire, when
will Gen. Grant stop stopping" In truth stopping is
not continuous process like going firing staying
but a single act that terminates the prior action On
my way TO Washington, may stop at Philadelphia,
but if am detained day two, stay at the Cont
mental Hotel. So man in walking down Broadway
from his house TO his Office may stop at Barnums
Museum but il is for short time and incidental TO
his main object but the traveller who puts mp at the
metropolitan Hotel does something more than STOP
and that word by indicates that he is forthe
time being resident of the house Mr. Gould gives
capital illustration of the use of the term "The
who did not invite his so-caled friend to visit him.
understood the meaning of words when he said, If
you come at any time, within ten miles Of my
house Just stop" The author quite properly
attacks the phrase =" In our midst" which
first came INTO prayer meetings, sermons,
and the reli gious press and although sanctioned by
the example of many eminent doctors of divinity,
and splendid pulpit orators, and even by the poet
Montgomery in one Of his most beautiful hymns, is
only fugitive contraband from the German, foreign
to the genius of our language, and unworthy OF the
slightest hospitality Mr.. Gould nveighs in good set
terms against the dainty innovation which has
to MS from London, of restricting the word ride to
conveyance on horseback, which he justly calls a
miserable afectation of accuracy" lady says she
is going to drive in the Park" when she s not going
to do any such thing Her coachman is to drire. and
she is to ride which is altogether another affair The
author pertinently asks, what is travelling in a
railroad car (which last expression, by the by is
purely American, and never heard in England)
" Is that drivingp Although good friend of ours
nsed TO ask Shall you drire home by the omnibus"
4 feat which we never had the slightest idea Of
performing Mr.. Gould might also have taken up
similar fashionable colloquialism which we have
adopted from London the Of the word instead of
sick except in one application, Mandy pamby style
which has no countenance from the best and earliest
writers of the language. The modern English use of
directly instead of soon as comes in for share Of