Smyrna times., 1868-02-26
Common ImprOprietjes OF Speech.

I
-
. AT all is a needless expletive, which is en-
| ployed by many writer's of what may be caIlc
the torclbe-teebe school. For example: 18Th
, coach was upset, but, strange to say, not
passenger received the slightest injury at all.
II Is not at all strange"
Mistaken Is enormously used for mistook. :
You are mistaken" is used to signify ''yo
mistake. A popular hymn begins, "AIistake
souls that dream of Heaven" for mistaking
am mistaken, means, Il am taken amiss;
that Is, you misapprehend me-"
What, for that. This error is quite commo,
among those who think themselves abov,
learning anything more out of dictionary o.
grammar. lie would not believe but what
was joking"
convene Is used by many persons in strange
sense: This road will convene the public, -
Evidence is a word much abused by learned
Judges and attOrneys-being continually used
Tor testimony. Evidence relates to the con-
Vlction OF any one mind testimony, to the
NnI KNnIoWlcdge OF another concerning some fact.
he evidence IN case is often the reverse of
the testimony.
Had have. This is very low vulgarism, not-
outstanding it has the authority of Addison
IL is very common to say, Had [ have seen
nlm' had you have known it, &c. We can
say, have been, Il had been" but what
sort of a tense is 8 Had have been ?''
Had ought, had better, had rather. Vulgar
abSurdltles, not less gross than hisn, taint,
tother, theirn.
At tor by, e. g., "Slles at Auction" The
wofd auction signifies manner of sale and
ton by. 0P0'i-
The above, as an adjective. "The above ex.
tract Is sufficient to verify nv assertion - "I
fully concur in the above statement" (the
statement, or the foregoing statement( Chos
boys" :" 'N ''i0 Oeio"
- Then, as an adjective. "The then king Of
dolland. This error, to which even educated
men are addicted, springs from desire of bre-
WHY out verbal economy is not commendable
"neh IL violates the painest rule of language.
Either, Is only applicable to objects; and the
sane sane, remark Is true Of neither and BOTH
Either of the three is wrong. 'sWbether,,
Is a contraction of (which Of either" =" and
therefore q cannot be correctly applied to more
than two objects.
fFopo. ltlon, ior proposal. This is not sole |
clSn, but! as universal word is preferable to |
one that is equivOcal, proposal6 for thinS
ohered or proposed, is better than 'pronosi7
lion; lie demonstrated the fifth proposition
~ y. Euclid he rejected the proposal of his
'; 0a'' are nucn abused words. 1t Is said
mar the brilliant Irish lawyer, Curran, once
- 'ai9ie9sly observed IN Court ''and action lays"
ma y the Judge corrected him by remarking.
LIES Mr.. Curran-hens lay" but subse,
uently, the Judge ordering counsel to 6 set
Town, Curran ret2liated: "Sit down, vonr
lonor-hens set. The retort was characteris-
Ic OF more wit than truth Hens do not set
nteyy sit. 1t Is not unusual to hear people saw
). Ihe coat sets well. . The wind sets fair"
lts rs the proper word. The pretrite of .'sit"
often Incorrectly used for that of ''set;" e. {
>. He sat off for Boston," '
from thence, for from whence. As the ad- /
cribs thence y and whence literally sun
ly the place of noun and proposition, there
soleclsm In employinga proposition in con. i
lnctlon with them.
nently used without the personal pronouns
If well" 'NN0'' n''ii'
Least, for less. "Of two evils, choose the y
Previous, for previously "Previous to my t,
aving America" NY "
Appreciates, ',fOr rises in value Gold ap- c
'eclated yesterday" n
Proven and plead, for proved and pleaded, ST
e clearly vulgsrisms. 1,
Bound, for ready and determined. "I am
un6 to DO IT., We may say properly that
Ap Is bound for, Liverpool" but in that W
st participle of the verb to bind, but the old
rthern participle adjective, buinn, from the m
rb at bua, slgnlfylng " to make ready or
epare." The term is strictly nautical one, of
TO employ 1t In sense that unites the
nlhcatlons OF both buiun and the English
rticipe bound from bind, it is a plain abuse an
language. rn 30.