Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-09-17
ERRORS OF SPEECH.
The Crudities which Punctuate the Al

The CrudttteS Which Punctuate the Artl.
cles Appearing In the Public Press.
1t is remarkable how many glaring
errors made by newspaper writer's find
their way into print, despite the care of
a trained and critical editor The 9TH
er day brief account of the life of
distinguished man contained the words
slater on" three times. To have made
the mistake of using ION" once in con-
nection with ''later" would have been
bad enough, but the duplication of the
error deserved the editors rebuke with
a warning note that starvation stared
the writer in the face. In the same
article appeared 'the above remark"
as if above were an adjective instead of
preposit'o 1t is true that Webster.
in a note says: ..Above is often used
elliptically as an adjective by emitting
the word mentioned or quoted" but
foregoing" or aforementioned" are
more correct words for the purpose. 1t
is an everyday occurrence to read
:'suspicioned' for suspected" the
noun for the verb. ''reckon" for 'tsup-
pose or conjecture" where no calcula-
ton is intended. and 'Taise'' for rear
or bring up'' when reference is made to
children who are reared" and not to
corn or hogs, which are IRA 'sed"
expect is often misapplied for 'sus-
pect." We ''expect' what is future
and likely to be realized. and "sus-
pect'' what is not manifest and de-
pendent on mere contingencies.
Redundancy is another serious fault
with newspaper writers. and even edi-
tors who know better and have more
time to prepare their articles than re-
porters. Return again." predict
beforehand, from hence" ga sight
to behold" ''try an experiment" sub
stitute in the place of. .'filled FULL"
''fixed fact" report again." free
gratis" new beginner" 'have got"
s'throughout the whole of and must
necessarily are phrases to be found on
every page. To illustrate the errors
to experiment is to TRY the expert
ment,' a fact is always "fxed"
'.free" and gratis mean the same.
'have" carries with it the idea of pos
session without ''got' aud whence
and hence imply from.
The nice discriminat Oh OF synonyms
requires a little time for thought,
but even in this feature there are palpa-
BILE errors which ought to be avoided.
+ or instance, it is Incorrect to say Let
me learn you how to do it. Teach
should be substituted for ''learn" as to
teach means to impart, and to learn
means to receive instruction. Food is
not "healthv," but wholesome" and
good soil not in cultivation. not ..fruit-
full but FERTILE" which means, hay
ing the power of producing in abund-
ance. To say to lady: Il shall
take the first occasion to call on you"
is not very complimentary in return for
her kind invitation. ''Occasion' comes
unsought, but opportunity is de-
sred. A thing is impossible" which
can not be performed in the very ma
ture of things, but ..impracticable'
when viewed in the light of the
limited powers of man. '.Suhi-
CENT is as much as one needs, and
enough" as one desires. "Miserable''
refers to mental distress. and wretch
ed' to external circumstances. To
trust" implies confidence with respect
to the future. and credit with re-
spect to the past. Dickens to the con-
trary Notwithstanding, mutual is
only correctly applied to that which
is interchangeable. as love. friendship.
pleasure, Joy. and common" to that |
which is enjoyed alike or together.
You may have a common" friend or
friend sin common" but not mutual |
friend or mutual country. To ''avow''
means to declare openly, and perhaps |
with pride. but to confess means to |
declare what we know will be consid-
cred blameworthy. Move is often
improperly used for remove" A
man may move" his head or hand |
without removing" either. To walk
about house is therefore to move"
from one position to another, but to
change residence is to remove"
from it.
These are few of the most objec-
tionable errors of newspaper writ ing,
excluding the barbarisms of the re-
porter for the race-course or the police
court, who may have ''brass" enough
Ito 90 it blind and 'either 'knock
under" and 'face the music" to the
gent" in the countingroom, or else
to tell him a ':cock-andbull story"
about not knowing the ropes with
a promise to 'beat his past record all
hollow" if he will .'let up on him
this time and "chuck' him over his
''tin. Cor. Louisville Courier.