Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-31
!. DONT'S
For Speaker and
Writer
Ready Reminder OF Errors in
the Use Of coss,snon Words,
Arranged Alphabetically

- 1870 -. ~ f'z >"
BY EDWARD q. WARMAN, A. M.
(Author Of practical Orthoepy and Crit
ique," The Voice: How to Train It.;
How to Care for IT, Etc)
= Copyright, 1906, by Joseph B. Bowles)
Authors Notc.-It is one thing to record
errors, quite another to avoid them He
VINO waits for the faultless one to cast
the first critical stone waits in vain;
therefore, as one Of many working for
the betterment of the English language.
shall be pleased to receive kindly criti-
cisn1, II, perchance, I, too, have erred.
ones theory often is better than ones
practice. This was cxemplified by the
teacher OF language when he said to his
class: Never use a proposition 10 end
a sentence with"
Many years ago I began to be wa:chfui
or errors. J. noted them in little book;
Inc book grew as the years passed.
pronted much; shall! profit more. I now
record them that ], may beneit: Others as
Wen as myself. Many OF them are re-
corded for the first time.
Don't say custom" for habit"
Example: THAT is his CUSTOM
should be THAT is his habit
Note.-When speaking Of custom We
infer national traits; but nabit has
reference to individuals.
Don't say "cut on the bias"
Example: Il had it cut on tie bias"
should be Il had 1t cut bias"
Note.-The words. ION the" are
superfuous, the Webs Int. to the con-
trary notwithstanding. We would not
say "cut it on the square" or "cut it
On tho round"
Don't say dangerous" for in dan
ger.'
Example: "He is i'll, but not dan
gerous," should be He is ill. but
not in danger or, "He is i'll, but not
dangerously so.''
Note:-The first expression might be
true il said Of an insane person.
Don't say "demean" for "debase."
Example,: DO not demean your
SELF" should be do not debase your
self"
Note.-Demean, like behave, sign!-
fies conduct of any kind. Ones de-
'meanor may be good or bad.
=
Don't say diagram that
Example: Diagram that upon the
blackboard" should be MAKE a dia-
gram Of that upon the blackboard
Note.-Diagram is not verb.
non,t COW <.n;ffo, fro,,,, fo,- s.a:eo-
WITH
Example,: Fl differ from him in his
opinion of Chicago" should be II
differ with him in his opinion of Chi
cago.'
Note.-1n matters of opinion we diff
fer with; in appearance we differ from.
Don't say "discommode."
Example,: II fear it will discom-
mode you," should be Il fear it will
incommode YOU 80.
Note.-The first lis: more common;
the second, correct.
Don't say 'disremember."
Example: II 6isremember saying
It," should be Il dc not remember say
ing It," or, 4 have no remembrance
of it,
archaic. Webs. Int.
+ =
Don't say distinguish" for dis
criminate."
Example: do you distinguish be-
tween the true and the false in elocu-
tion:" should be do you discriminate
between the true and the false in elo-
cution?" or, DO you distinguish the
true from the false in elocution?''
Note.-We should distinguish the
one from the other, and then discrim-
mate between them. One may distin-
guish without discriminating. The
frat sentence is indefinite in conse-
quence of its ambiguity.
Don't say donate"
Note.-So say some of the authori-
ties; yet am inclined to favor the use
Of donate and donation. They seem to
have a special significance. Donate;
"a modern word."-Worc.
y ,
Don't say *'done' for did,
Example: Who done it," should
be "Who did IT."
= =
Don't say <'don't'' for doesn't
Example: He don't come to
eohoo1 Sto,,1s3 h<, Hryo .,o>,o,S 80
does not come to school,"
Note.-"Don't' is a contraction of
do and not; therefore, to say he don't
come to school is equivalent to say
ing HE do not come to school,
Don't should be used only with
you, they, we and 1; doesn't with he.
she and it.
Example: You don't, they don't.
We don't, / don't; he doesn't, she
doesn't, it doesn't.
Rule.-Never use don't with he. she
and It.
Don't say don't think" for think:
Example,: "He's not coming. don't
think" 1T is not true don't think"
'They will not let him 30 I don't
think" should be- Hes not coming, L
think" 1T is not true, think" They
will not let him go, think" ..
Note.-Two negatives make a posi-
Sive. BY transposing the sentences it
will be seen that the word don't" is
superfuous.
(don't) think he is not coming.
(don't) think it is not true
(don't) think they will not let him
90,