Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-01-24
Words and their Uses

i ~ - Af'N' ~ -. ~ NuS w ulbC new
vdlnme, bearing the above title, we
quote q few paragraphs, showing q
nice sense of discrimination founded
on practical views ofthe subject:
AggrdUdte-This word should new
er be employed in reference to per-
sons, as it means merely to add
weight Toto make an evil more OPP
pressive; injury is aggravated by in-
suit. 1t is sometimes improperly
used in the sense of irritate, as 81
was much aggravated by his con-
duct"
Balance in the sense of rest, remain
der, residue, remnant, is an abomi-
nation. Balance is, metaphoricaliy,
tho difference between two sides of
an account-the amount which is
necessary TO make one equal to the
other ( = Yet we continually
hear of tho balance of this or that
thing, even the balance of congre-
cation or of an army
BountJm Is applicable only to per-
sons. A giver may be bountful, but
his gift cannot it should DO called
plentiful or largo. "a bountifuI
slice" is absurd.
Fetch expresses a double motion
first from and then toward the speak
er; it is exs city equivalent TO ego
and bring" and ought not to be used
in the sense Of bring alone.
Calculate, besides its sectional mis-
use, for think or suppose, is sometimes,
in the participal form calculated, but,
for likely or apt. THAT nomination
Is calculated TO injure the party
1t is calculated to designed to do no
such thing, though it may be likely
to.
Citi<en should not be used except
when the possession ofpolitical rights
Is meant to be implied. Newspaper
reporters have q bad habit of bring
ing it out on all occasions, when
person" oman" or "bystander"
wOnld express their meaning much
better.
Couple APPLIES to two things which
are bound together or united in some
way. "A couple of apples" is incor-
rect-tro apples is what is meant.
Dirt means filth, and is not sy-
nonymous with earth or soil. Yet
people sometimes speak Of a dirt
road, or Of packing dirt around the
roots OF trees they are setting. They
mean earth
Erecute -When murderer is hang
ed his sentence is executed, the man il
not. "A man cannot be executed
that "a, followed ont or performed.
Erpect looks always to the future
You cam expect that anything has
happened or is happening, but only
that it will happen,
Get means TO obtain, not to pos
sess. He has got all the mum bers of
the Country Gentleman J" Have
you got good molasses ?" "They
have got bad manners" Why willper-
sons persist in introducing the word
in such sentences as these where it
IS so evidently superffuous
Help Meet-An absurd use of thess
two words, as if they together vert
the name of one thing-a wife--is te
common. The sentence in Genesie
is: 81 will make him an help meeo
for him"-t. e., help tit for him
There is no such word as helpmeet.
Lie-Lay-Persons not grossly ig-
norant sometimes say they will lay
moaning lie1 down, that they have
[lainl an hour, or that the hammer is
[layirg] by the tacks. Lie means to
recline its past tense is tny-"I lay
there all that night" its participles,
lying and lain. Lag (used Of present
time) means to put something down
Ono lays q carpet; its past is laid
q laid it myself" it's participles,
laying and laid-'I was Interrupted
while laying it, and it was not all
laid till night"
Lore rules the heart, not the stom-
ach. You lore your wife, or ought
to; but favorite articles or food You
like.
Observe should not be used for say,
as is the oft-heard sentence, "What
Gid you 0bserve?"
ST. often mispronounced set, is &C.
casionally written so, but, il is to be
hoped, rarely.