Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-02-15
,s ssS s.--VOL. p, NO. 81.
Linguistic Sinners--T The Common Crimes
Of Conversation.

from TIE Old and New for February
There are the careless peoule
those "who know the right, AID yef
the wrong pursue" They plunge
reck!essly on without a thought for
the words they use their sentences
abound with ordinations aud ex-
pietives more expressive than choice.
Their slang phrases are an offense to
cultivated ears; and they exhaust
the superlatives of the language on
the most ordinary occasions. 1t
ihcy who preface every sentence,
even on trivial topics, with, "My
stars y by Georgep "By Jupi-
ter r "Gracious r. "Good Lord
"Thunder !" You bet p mo you
don't !" In their vocabulary, "Ohl'
Indeed, yes" "Well 7" "And-ah p
are as thickly strewn as leaves in
ValIambrosa With them a funeral
is Jolly prayer-meeting funny"
an ordinary performance is "frst-
rate" the lowest round on the ladder
OF beauty is real pretty )" and their
indiscriminate admiration is express
ed by the much abused epithets,
splendid, beautiful, magnificent,
superb, bewitching, fascinating,
charming, delicious, exquisite" etc.
Any violation of law belonging to
their code is shameful . refusal to
conform to their wishes is "horrid
mean J" common cold is terrible, 4"
and headache is "beyond endur-
ance." They are always "roasted" or
frozen" or melted )" their friends
are beatified with every virtue; and
their enemies are the offscourings of
the race. They SO completely ex-
haust the language on common occa-
sions that no words are left to give
expressions to their deeper feelings.
A second class includes those who
violate the laws of etymology. They
have been thoroughly trained in the
grammar of the language, and yet
refuse to be regulated by its precepts
This class is large one, and includes
among its audacious sinners:
l. Those who use the objective |
case for the nominative as, at is |
me, for at is )" at is her" for at |
is she;" at is u.s." for at is we :"
2. Those who use the nominative
case for the objective; as, Between
you and T." for Between you and
me" Like you and J." for sIike
you and me-" "I know who you
mean" for 81 know whom Won
mean"
3. Those whose gu bjects and verbs
do not sgree in number and person
as, Says |, for "Say / ;;""You was"
for "You were )" "My feet's cold"
Cara ~ e 40" 4uv.o AK puIlIy.
4. Those who use the indicative |
mood for the subjunctivc; as IF / |
was you" for "If | were You"
5. Those who use the present /
tenee for the past 81 see you yes
terday," for Il saw you yesterday
G. Those who use the lntransitive
verb for the transitive If he is a
mind to F." for If ne has mind to.
Z. Those who use incorrectly the
much-abused verbs Sit and lie, as, Il
am going to lay down, for II am
going to lie down . II laid down
this morning" for Il lay down this |
morning )" Il shall set there, for Il |
shall sit there
8. Those who use the adverb for
the adjective, as, she looks beauti-
fully, for "She looks beautiful . or
its opposite, "She walks graceful"
for She walks gracefully"
g. Those who use @ plural adicc-
tive with singular noun as, "Thoso
kind" for That kind !" six pair"
for six pairs"
10 Those who use the compound
relative for the conjunction as, Il
do not know but what | will, " for 81
do not know but that / will"
H. Those who use the objective
case after the conjunction ethan !"
as, "He knows more than me, for
''He knows more than L."
II. Those who use double mega
tives; mo you don't neither" for
mo you don't either"
13 Those who use the wrong
proposition as, different to-" for
Different from, !" ain regard Of,
for "With regard to-"
II. Those who use the superla-
tive degre for the comparative as,
"The oldest Of the two" for "The
older of the two"