The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1872-10-29
THE COMMON CRIME or coNvERsATIoN


There are careless people, those "who know
the right and yet the wrong pursue" They
plunge recklessly on without a thought of the
words they use their sentences abound with
EXPLANATIONS and explosives more expressive
than choice their slang phrases are an offence
to cultivated ears; and they exhaust the SUI
perlatives of the language on the most ordi-
nary occasions. 1t is they who preface every
sentence, even on trivial topics, with, "My
Stars I" ''By Georgel" "By Jupiter !"
"Gracious ~ Good Lord !" "Thunder I"
:" You bet !" .sNo you don't |" In their vo-
cabulary, "oh I" Indeed, yes 70 "Wenl"
and "Ah!' are as thickly strewn as leaves
in Vallombrosa. With them a funeral is
Jolly" a prayer meeting "funny," an ordi-
nary performance is g first-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" &c. Any
violation of a law belonging to their code is
shameful - refusal to conform with their
wishes is "horrid mean - and headache is
beyond endurance" They are always
"roasted - or frozen or "melted :, their
friends are beautiful with every virtue their
enemies are the offscourings of the race. They
so completely exhaust the language on COM
mon occasions that no words are left to give
expression to their deeper feelings.
A second class includes those who violate
the laws of etymology. They have been
thoroughly trained in the grammaro language,
yet refused to be regulated by its precepts.
This class is a long one and includes among
its audacious sinners:
1. Those who use the objective case for the
nominative; as cit is me-" for "It is !"
1T is her." for at is she - at is u.s. for
"It is we.'
2. Those who use the nominative case for
the objective as, "Between you and II for
"Between you and me - "Like you and r."
for 'sLixe you and me - 81 know acho you
mean," for " | know whom you mean"
3. Those who use subjects and verbs do not
agree in Shumber and person; as, Says l."
for "Say - "You acas," for tYou were :"
g My .feet's cod," for "NIy feet are cold y
There's thirty for "There are thirty"
A. Those who use the indicative mood for
the subjective :" If was you," for eff were
you.n
s. Those who use the present tense for the
past as, 81 seen you yesterday" for l saw
you yesterday
6. Those who use the mtransitive verbs for
the transitive :" II lieis mind to, = for - II
he has mind to-
7. Those who use incorrectly the much
abused verbs sit and lie; as, 81 am going to
lay down." for ~ am going to lie down !" 81
laid down this morning." for 81 lay down
this morning - Il shall set there for " |
shall sit there
s. Those who use the adyerb for the adec-
tive as "She looks beautifully" for "She
looks beautiful P" or its opposite, "She walks
graceful, for She walks gracefully"
8. Those who use plural adjective with a
singular noun; as, "Thosc kind, for 'That
kind - "Six pair" for "Six pairs"
10. Those who use the compound relative
for the conjunction; as, 81 do not know but
what will,o for " | do not know but that l
will.'
II. Those who use the objective case after
the conjunction than - as, !" He knows more
than me, for &c He knows more than |"
10. Those who use double negatives as,
"No you don't, neither, for 'No you don't,
either"
ID. Those who use the wrong proposition
as, Different to- for Different from; In
regard of, for "With regard to-.
IA. Those who use the superlative degree
for the comparative as, "The oldest of the
two,' for "The older of the two"