Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-08-23
ssPlease No Nh, say,

as IL they had q degenerate variation OF theEnp.
1t used to be- but stili fingers in many Quarters.
me american portion OF the family left the
mother country when the language was free of
consisted. moreover in marked degree OF edu-
Gated persons The result Is that American
f hng s,. contrasts 5ayoraol as whole with
much to say that In London:the rS,ace Of the
R ,sstmt Wrltlng-there is more barbarou. and
inoeiensiple English uttered than in all the
United States.
This is condition of things which-as far as
we are Commemorative should aim at preserving.
"a cockney" is unintelligible in some parts OF
Great Britain, and there are provincials who
conductor or the coachman who speaks Eng
lish 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 usages not defensible on the
principles epp OF grammar. however. many or re-
have come to tolerate "gents'-gentlemen re-
duced; but there is no excuse for the way In
which even railroad companies deal with
gents" and ladies where The pOSseSsiye case
is in question.
There are many phrases in use-in spite of
lie efforts OF Mr. Charles Hartley, from whom
which we ought to shun. They stop at home"
all Gay. We must stay at home" They talk
81 q, Geoupe CT pounds as II the pounds were
CROUCH. but we should say TACO pounds or dol
lais. Dollars are not coupled" In fact, the
lst OF Lonaontslns would be long one. mot
as KNOW" is the frequent confession OF igno-
rance, and, more commonly, ION" is added.
quite promlscuous." as would be said; and If
blaine Is to be laid On one it is "all along OF
and connect it with the first or third person.
1t is an abomfnation-amost as bad as "says
L, or ~ heard as how you was leaving"
We are also adopting 'the above statement
~ nm nIy fbNt,f
Words of place have enough to do in their own
sphere and are often misplaced. Why should we
say take ak hold on thing or point to that
do their duty as demonstratives, unaided. We
have not yet gone down to the London What
are you doing or" Il will not 90 without you
promise" Is, we write with regret, North-of-
Ireland error to the clear neglect of a,aless, and
In the same order as lover hundred" when up
TGrdS OF hundred is meant. Persons get into
the way of saying these things as they say
men born; or make proverbs like "as plenty as
blackbeIries, where the adjective plentiful is
robbed OF its place.
We need not wonder what O'Clock II Isl {espe-
c1ally as watches are so cheap, when we wish
to know the time, nor expect man Is we'll
OIL when we consider him rich. We look for
something not present when we expect" 1t Is
almost as offensive as she enjoys bad health"
or singing the 1.-TWO first verses" OF a hymn.
THIS ais Is lot exclusively Hibernian.
There Is constant tendency. even with edu-
Gated people, to become confused In the matter
CT time Two things are tefore the mind in
connection. and In reference to the past. but
relation: Yet they are often put together In
the past. Il wished to have gone last week"
Is common enough form OF phrase. But
Gid not wish to have gone. II wished
to go last week. is therefore correct Do
not, therefore, say; II thought he would
Your thinking is of the past: but when you
were thinking it was of something not past
S sue ne errors, however are excusable, great
authors have committed them) In comparison
with another apparent confusion of lenses.
1.-The land lays to the vest says gentleman
wno means that it lies to the west 50 he
the sofa all day." when he means she lies.
Men 10y wagers, and lay money on the table;
,hey act lar and an active verb is used; but The
n meney G Te6 npnn the Is pOr aqs tne
lay being the imperfect OF lie, the error
easily grew; but when one says, 81 laid on
!le 1e 6s there is 9e es Tor HIM
objective. As "lay7-being common n Pin in
Two ver6SI ,t snare to the unwary SO it
would rather, P" but which has been read as If it
were II had" and SO Ne get the phrase which
But the exact counterpart Of the LAY" for 'lie'
Is curiously enough, In the word ''sit" "He
sets IN the north alsle;" 'the house sets back in
proper word. The builder may set the house.
or the sexton may set, or, more properly, 1seat"
the person; but In both cases the objects are re-
set. But, considering the million cases in
which 1ranimate objects have been treated as
intelligent agentS-"rhis house to let'-we can |
hardly wonder at the confusion.
here is Class CT adopted words among |
Which mistakes are common and natural to |
those who forget, or never knew, their origin !
Il have these memorandas' is improper. Mem /
oranda is the Latin plural Of memo uid'tnl. and
this noun is now so Anglcized that it takes a |
plural form in the ordinary English way. No /
one need be ashamed to say nee7nordladuD1s |
and enCOntiUfiS. But we have not so treated |
frurtnm. and any one errs who speaks OF the |
unptedSdHt etfurid, or OF this dGta-both plural |
forms OF Latin nouns. The safe way in these |
cases Is 10 keep to the Saxon which we know. |
ard avoid the temptation OF sounding phrases, |
from which even official persons are not eX. |
empt. Even decade OF five years makes |
great difference said one yesterday who |
ought to know better. for he is member of a |
Learned profession" But considering how |
the English-speaking people have taken the |
French efpos and used 1t, In bad sense univer- |
sally, for eTposure, We cannot wonder If words |
drawn from dead languages and distant times |
are abused and perverted.
We must not however, too eagerly seek eX-
cuses for ourselves. Or regard ourselves as the
Involuntary victims OF outside powers when we
are ourselves the voluntary wrongdOers. To
say I" / am mistaken" when We mean Intistakc
is common and grammatically wrong To be
mistaken Is to be taken acrOngtn. The mistaken
person Is to be pitied. TO mistake is to 60
aoioJ, w ts'ho Nionsiy. lie VINO ntiStdGeS Is
active. and responsible for the error. may
1tstahe regarding any OF these suggestions. /
shall be mistaken If any one thinks that In ma.
KING them set up myself as an infallible guide
and deem myself incapable of mistakes.9Ppr
Or. John Eau, in ~ Y. Ledger.
Henry is practical!' said Mrs. YoungTifa
when mother went into the country last year |
henry sent all her things alter her theVery |
next day; he said she might want some of them |
you Know. And It's kind o. funny" she went
them q bac
come pack TO live with us since. Wasn't il |
Queer?N-BCStOn Tr0nsCript