Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-20
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

, slipper shaped" There is no real rea-
son why 1t should not be used else
where, when one has legitimate de-
mand for 1t. There is mistaken
idea that writer's should never use
words with which any reader might not
| be familiar.
| A writer who uses little-used word
in such manner that the reader is
able to grasp It's meaning without going
: to the dictionary is doing his readers
a good turn. The English are particu-
larly good at this. They never use
unusual words in a pedantic way,
| dragged in by the neck, as it were,
| but so link them up with other words
that the context usually explains the
word. English book reviews are partic-
| ularly pleasing in this respect.
| To drag in a word simply for the sake
of showing off ones knowledge is one
! thing. but to use a perfectly good
word in way which will at once sup
ply the reader with the meaning is
quite another. Usually this must be
done by forethought, without offending
the reader by too obvious attempts.
When properly done. the use of unu-
sual words Is both edifying and pleasing
since the reader feels that he has
gained something as well as been en-
tertained. New words have all the nov
city of new ideas. Coming across the
word "f1shify," one realizes that when
one wants to say MAKE like fish ne
might as well say "fishify' as not. Why
not? If he uses it properly, his hear
ers or readers will grasp at once what
1t means.
There is no particular reason why the
intranSitiYe verb form "enucleate"
should not be used when one wants to
say explain" or clear up"
"Sudation" is good word for Sweat
ing" although very little used in every
day conversation or non-medical writ
ing. The word "febrifuge," meaning
medicine to reduce fever, should be bet
ter known. Quinine is the most used
febrifuge.
Even folks who don't use dice for
playing games know the arrangements
of dots upon the various sides, and the
chances are that they have been par
ticularly pleased with the arrangement
of the five-spot'-that is, four dots, one
at each corner and one in the center.
This symmetrical layout is the "quin-
cunX," known to every one of the mil
lions who play bridge-but not by that
name! And again, why not?
Enough examples have been given to
show that 1t is scarcely possible to open
the dictionary at random without find
ing one or more words of interest, per-
haps even more interesting than the
word for which one is looking.
There is an old saying to the effect
that one ought to learn at least one
new word day. but perhaps one is not
enough, and while learning one the
searcher might just as we'll learn two!
This second word, being entirely ones
own discovery, as it were, probably will
prove more interesting and more dur
able, in sense, than the word one is
searching for.
Looking for a word in a dictionary,
unfortunately, strikes the average per-
son as task, and task, alas, too often
is resented But when one runs onto
word of his own accord, and for some
reason or other is attracted to it, he
discovers that he has put himself into it
to an unusual degree.
The chances are very large that he
will remember the spelling and defini-
ton of such words long after he has
forgotten those of the words he DELHI
erately looked up.