Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-10-14
THE ENGLISH TONGUE.
DR.. John Hall Gives Some Coed ADVICE
About the Use Of Words
ana Phrases.

ana PHRASES.
The English people sometimes speak of
Americans as if they had degenerate
variation of the English tongue. The
prejudice is less strong than ii used to be,
but it still fingers in many quarters. The
American portion OF the family left the
mother country when the language was
free from many recent and undesirable
additions; and 1t consisted, moreover, in
marked degree of educated persons.
The result is that American English con-
trasts favOTabiy as whole with that
spoken IN the British isles; anu it is not
too much to say that in London, the place
of the present wrting-therc is more bar
barous and indetenslble English uttered
than in the United States.
This is condition of things which, as
far as we are concerned, we should aim at
preserving. "a cockney" is unintelli-
gible in some parts OF Great Britain, and
there are provinciaIs who are imperteCtly
understood in Londoo. But the icon.
ductor" or the Coachman who speaks
English can be equally understood among
us in Maine and in New Mexico, In New
York and IN Oregon
One way of maintaining this unity of
speech is the avoidance OF Unauthorized
words and phrases, and of all usag-s not
detel sible on the principles of grammar,
however many or respectable the persons
who employ them. We have come to
tolerate gents" gentlemen reduced; but
there is no excuse FIR the way in which
even railroad companies deal with
gents" and "lades where the pos
sessive case is in question.
Al, IN In
spite of the efforts of Mr.. Charles Hunt
ley, from whom we take some examples
- by our English cousins which we
ought TO shuu They stop at home all
day. We must stay at home" Tney
talk of couple of pounds as if the
pounds were linked together. A mar
ried couple" is proper enough, but we
should say two pounds or dollars. Dol
lars are not coupled" In fact the list
of L.Ondunisms would be quite long one.
Not as | know" is the frequent confcs'
sion of ignorance, and more commonly
l." on" is added, quite promiscuous
rs would be said: and if blame is to be
laid on any one it is "all al NJ of him"
We are inclined to the English ayn't"
and connect it with the first and third
pc son. It is an abomination 49, almost
as bad as says l." or II heard as how
YOU was leaving
We are also adopting 1.-THE above
statement, when we mean preceding,
surely without reason. Words of place
have enough to do in their own sphere
and are Often misplaced. Why should
we say take mold on a thing, or point
to " that there " or this here y? This
and thar can do their duty rs demon
sratiyes unaded We have not yet got
down to the London What are you do
ing oiE' IL viii net go without you
promise" is We write with regret, u
North of Ireland error, to the clear neg
leCt of " unless" and IN the same order rs
lover a hundred when upwards OF n
hundred is meant Persons get into the
way of saying these things as they say
90 bred ana born as if we were first bred
and then born; or make proverbs like
las plenty rs blaCkbcrrics,' where the
adjective plentiful is robbed of its place,
We need not wonder what O'Clock 1t
is" especially rs watches are cheaph
when we wish To know the time, nor " eN-
pcct a man is well oil when we consider
him rlch. We look for some thing not
p,escnf when we expect 1t Is almost
rs offensive rs "She joys bad health,
or singing the two first verses OF u
hymn. This IS not exclusively Hiber
Man.
There is constant tendency, even with
educated people, to become confused IN
the matter of time. Two things are be.
fore the mind in connection, ami in refer
ence to the past, but they do not necessa.
rily stand in the same relation, Yet they
are often put together in the past. 4
wished To have gone last week, Is com
mon enough form Of phrase But me
wish 10 20 was the thing past he did
not wish to have gone.
wished to 30 last week. is, therefore,
correct Do not, therefore say, thought
he would have come You thought he
would come Your thinking i Of the
past but when you were thinking II was
. of something not past Such errors, how.
+ ever, are excusabe great authors have
committed them in comparison with 40
other apparent confusion % lenses ne
{ land Laws 10 the west, says gentleman,