The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-06-01
DONT'S
For Speaker and
Writer

How 10 care Coz hi. Ele.D
tcopyright. 1893, ny Joseph y BcwlesD
Authors Note~u IL enc thing 90 record
errors, quite another 20 avoid them. TIE
who waits for the faultlees one TO cast
the first critical stone waits ~ valnl
therefore, as one of many working Tor
the bettermeDt OF the English languane,
shall be pleased 10 receive kindly efiti-
cism, N, perchance, I, too, have erred,
ones theory often Ia better than ones
practice, This wns exemplined w the
teacher OF language when he sale 10 BIS
class Never use a proposition 10 enc
a sentence with"
Many years ago I began 90 be watehfu
Of errors, I noted them IN a little book
pfofted much, shaii profit more. ! now
record them that ! may benefit others as
well as myself, Many OF them are re-
corded for the first time,
-
Don't say handsome" for pretty"
Noto.-The term Handsome" may In
clude pretty, but pretty doesn't include
handsome. The words striking, state
ly, noble, dlgnbned suggest or describe
that which Is handsome; while delicacy
or gracefulness are suggestive OF that
which Is pretty. Elmg are handsome or
stately; pansies are pretty. Men and
women OF noble character may be, and
generally are, handsome, although they
may not be fair VI face nor regular OF
feature. Dudes are said 70 be pretty.
One should not speak OF a pretty man,
but a handsome man. That which IL
called a pretty man IL merely a suit OF
clothes, latest fashion, nothing therein.
Don't say hanging suspended"
Example: 1T was hanging suspend
ed by a thread" should be 1T was hang
ing by q thread" or 1T was suspended
by q thread"
Don't say healthy" for wholesome"
Example: Beef Is healthy meat 70
eat" should be Beef IL wholesome meat
10 cat"
Noto.-one who desires 70 be healthy
should eat wholesome food.
Don't say her" for she"
Example: 1T was her." "He Is much
older than her" should be 1T was She"
He Is much Older than she" (isI
Don't say "het" for heated"
Example: 1T IL heat (het) by steam"
should DO 1T is heated by steam"
Note%-Heat (het) II obsolete. II oc-
ours In some Of Shakespeare writings,
as: "The iron though heat red.hot,"
Don't say him" for he"
Example: II think II was hin" should
DO II think II was he" "1paid you more
than him." should be II paid you more
than he" (did).
EoteI-Thc first IN correct II one means
II paid you more than / paid him" but
II the meaning Ii changed the conBtruc-
ton should DO.
Don't say his" for their"
Example: HE left n wife and three
children 10 mourn his loss" should be
He left a wife and three children 10
mourn their loss"
Note-The loss II theirs, not his.
They may mour his departure, but not
his loss.
Don't say hollow tube"
Example; lie spoke through n hol.
low tube" should be HE spoke through
a tube"
Note-Tubes are supposed 10 be hol-
Don't say hundred" for hundreds"
Example: There we're several hun.
dred present" should be There were |
hundreds present"
Fote=The same when speaking Of
or millions.
Hules-Wben using the numerals In
connection with tho number OF persons
or objects, drop the "B;" thus:
Seven million; not seven millions
Seven thousand; not seven thousands. |
Seven bundrcdj not seven hundreds.
Seven pair; not seven pairs.
Seven couple; not seven couples.
Don't say hung" for hanged"
Example: THE man was hung"
Do THE man was hanged"
Eote~Men are hanged; pictures are
lung. .
Don't say hurry" for hasten"
Example; II wish he would hurry
Hurry up" should be Il wish he would
iastcn" Hasten" or Make haste"
Note-Haste signifies rapidity. 10
Iurry signifies not only haste, but con-
uslon. One who wishes 10 be long.lived
houId not hurry, but hasten. Hurry In
kin 70 worry.
Don't say Il" for "me.0
Example: Between you and IT,"
DO Between you and me"
Don't ray ice water for Iced water"
Ice cream"for iced cream"
Eoter-Ice water ~ made from ice; leo
would be cream made from ice.
rue, fee water may be q compound OF
70 and water, but Ice cream II not q
ompound OF ice and cream. The water
iced, the cream IL iced. But one wound