Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-09-07
Why Not Speak Properly.

We quote from r. G.. Whites book,
Words and Their Uses, " few examples
of the more common improprieties of
language:
"Aggravate This word should never
be employed in reference to persons, as
it means merely to add weight TOTO
make evil more oppressive; injury is ag-
gravated by insult. 1t is sometimes i'm.
properly used in the sense of irritate, as
was much aggravated by his conduct.
Balance, in the sense of rest, re-
mainder, residue, remnant, is an abomi-
nation. Balance is the difference be-
tween 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 con-
gregation-Of an army.
Bountiful is applicable only to per-
sons. A giver may be bountiful, but his
gift cannot-it should be called plenti-
full, or large. A bountiful slice is alb
surd.
'''' Fetch expresses a double notion; first
from and then toward the speaker. 1t is
exactly equivalent to go and bring, and
ought not to be used in the sense OF
bring alone.
Calculate, besides its sectional mis-.
use for think, or suppose, or suspect, is
sometimes in the particular form-calcu-
lated-put for likely, or apt: That
nomination is calculated to injure the
party 1t is calculated (designedD to dc
no such thing, though it may be likely to-
Citizen should not be used except
when the possession of political rights is
meant to be implied. Newspaper re-
porters have bad habit of bringing it out
on all occasions when person. man,
or bystander' would express their mean
ing much better.
"Couple applies to two things which
are bound together or united in some
way. A couple of apples is incorrect
two apples are meant.
Dirt means filth, and is not synony'
nous with earth and soil. Yet people
sometimes speak of dirt road, or OF
packing dirt around the roots of trees
they are setting. They mean earth.
" Execute. When a murderer j!
hanged, his sentence is executed, but the
man is not. A man cannot be executed
that is, followed out or performed.
Expect looks always to the future
You cannot expect that anything hal
happened or is happening, but only that
it will happen.
"Get means to obtain, not to possess
He has got all the numbers of the Chris
tian InstructOr.' Have you got gooC
molassesY They have got bad man
ners.' Why win people persist in intro
ducing the word in such sentences a
these, where it is so evidently superhu
Gus?
"Help meet. An abusive use of thes,
two words as if they, together, were the
name of one thing-a wife-is too com
mon. The sentence in Genesis is: viii
make him help meet for him. that i
help fit for him. There is no sucl
word as helpmeet.
Lie-lay. Persons not grossly ig
norant sometimes say they will Ia.
(meaning lie) down, that they have lai,
Qain) an hour, OF that the hammer is lay
ing (ying) by the tacks. Lie means t.
recline; its past tense lay - l lay al
night;' its partieiples, lying and lain
Lay (used of present time) means to pu
something down-one lays a carpet; it
past is laid-'I was interrupted Will
laying it, and it was not laid until night
Love rules the heart, not the stom
ach. You love your wife, OF ought tc
but favorite articles of food you like.
"Observe should not be used for say
as in the oft-heard sentence: What di
you observer
Sit, often mispronounced set, is oC
casionally written so; but it is to b
hoped rarely"