The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-12-29
Wrong and Right Use of Words.

-dgGrOCotf--Ih his WORT should never be
employed in reference TO persons, as it
means merely to add weight to-to make
an evil more oppressive; injury is aggra-
waited by insult. Il is sometimes improper
ly used in the sense Of irritate, as Il was
much aggravated by his conduct"
Balance, in the sense of rest, remainder,
residue, remnant, is en- abomination.
Balance is. metaphoricaliy, the difference
between two sides of an account-the
amount which is necessary to make one
equal TO the other.
Yet we continually hear of the balance of
this or that thing, even the balance of
congregation or of an army.
A giver may be bountiful, but his gift can
a bountiful slice" is absurd
Fetch expresses a double motion-first
from and then toward the speaker; it is ex
actly equivalent to "go and bring" and
ought not to be used in the sense of bring
alone.
Calculrte, besides It's sectional misuse for
think or suppose, is sometimes, in the
participal form calculated, put for Hktiy or
apt THAT nomination is calculated to
injure the party" 1t is calculated (de-
signed) to do no such Thing, though ii may
be likely to.
Citizen should not be used except when
the possession of political rights is meant
to be implied. Newspaper reporters have
Il bad habit of bringing it out on ali occa-
siOns, when person., man" OF by
SANDER" would express their meaning
much better
Couple applies 10 two things which are
bound together or united III some way.
"A couple of apples is incorrect-tico APP
pies is what is meant.
Brit means filth, and is not synonymous
with earth or soil. Yet people sometimes
speak of dirt road, or OF packing dirt
around the roots of trees they are setting.
They mean earth.
EIecute.-When q murderer Is hanged
his sentence is executed, the man is not. A
man cannot be executed-that is, followed
out or performed.
Ebpea looks always to the future. You
cannot expect that anything has happened
or is happening, but only that it will
happen.
Oct means TO obtain, not to possess.
He has got all the numbers of the news
paper" Have you got good mOlasses? ?
"They have got bad manners" Why will
people persist in introducing the word in
such sentences as these, where it is evil
IDENTIFY superflDus?
Help Meet.-An absurd use of these two
words, as if they together were the name
of one thing--a wife-is too common
The sentence in Genesis is; will make
him an help meet fer him. C., help III
! for him. There is ND such word as help
meet.
Lie-Lay.-PersOns not grossly igno
rant sometimes say they will lay meaning
lie down, that they have laid lain al
hour, or that the hammer is laying lying
by the tacks. LIE means To recline; 1T
past tense is hy-"I my there all tina
night" its participles, tS'iny and IAN. La!
used of present time) means to put some
thing down-one lays carpet; its past l.
| kiid-"l laid it myself" its participates, Ly
ina and laid-"I was interrupted Will,
LAYING it, and it was not all laid till night:
Lore rules the heart, not the stomach
You iore your wife. or ought TO bun favor
tie articles of food you like.
O5&erre should not be used for sag, a
is the oft heard sentence, What did you
0bseiuer
ST., often misprOnounced set, is occasion
ally written SO. but, it Is TO be hoped rarely
- Words and Their Uses