LANGUAGE 



195 



The word is used correctly in "Changes both in 

 inil'n'iduul* and communities are often pro- 

 duced by trifles"; incorrectly in "That indi- 



! left here several hours ago." 

 Innumerable Number should not be 

 used. Say instead innumerable times or mini- 

 is times. 



1 n so far as. The /// is sujn-rHuons in 

 this phrase. "In so far a* I know" should be 



I know." 



Intend is misused for purpose, as in "I intend 

 to attend college this winter" should read "I 

 purpose to attend college this winter." We 

 purpose seriously: we intend vaguely. 



JUSt Going tO GO is better expressed by 



just about to go. Just going to say by just about 

 to fin/, etc., or by about to go. 



Just Next. Doesn't "He was next me" 

 -s as much as "He was just next me?" 



Kids. It is better usage to speak of one's; 

 . than of one's kids. When silk gloves are 

 meant, we never speak of them as silks. 



Kind of. "What kind <>j man is he?" is 

 correct. "What kind of a man is he?" is in- 

 correct. 



Lady. Address a stranger as madam, and 

 not as lady. People of culture and refinement 

 will never say, "She is a fine lady," a "clever 

 lady." etc. Ladies say, "The women of Amer- 

 women's apparel," etc. In similar in- 

 stances men should be used in place of gentle- 

 men. 



Lie Lay. By a vulgar error these verbs 

 have been so confounded as to deserve some 

 notice. To lie is neuter, and designates a state : 

 to lay is active, and denotes an action on an 

 object; it is properly to cause to lie: "A tiling 

 lies on the table"; "Some one lays it on the 

 table"; "He lies with his fathers"; "They 

 In ! him with his fathers." In the same manner, 

 when used idiomatically, we say, "A thing lies 

 by us until we bring it into use"; "\Ve lay it 

 by for some future purpose." 



The confusion arises probably from the fact 

 that lav appears in both verbs. The won Is are 

 correctly used in the following sentence-: 



I //i/ myself upon the bed (action). 1 // 



Upon tin- l>e.l I 



I In'iil my -eh' upon the bed (action). I lay 

 upon the bed (rest). 



I have laid myself upon the bed (action). I 

 hurt- loin upon tne be. I 



i Ini/x an egg (action). A ship //* :it the 

 wharf (rest). 



The murdered Lincoln ///>/ in si 



'pie Inlil the crime upon the rebel- n 



tion). 



l.i-arn Teach. The uncultured 

 change the-e verb-. '/'" tmrh i- to nive in-t ruc- 

 tion; to learn is to take in-trueiion. "1 \\jll 



.11 will ffiirh me " I- eonvet. 



Leave. The vulgar say "teave me be"; 

 it alone"; *Lea it." 



li-t is the verb to be u 



Loan* according to Kicliard < Irant White. 

 i- not a verb, but a noun. A limn is thn com- 



plefed act of lending, of i- the tiling lent. It 



01 ind larger to some people to say that 

 they hmm-d. than that they l> t a thousand 

 dollars more as if the loan were an im; 



transaction ; but that can be only because they 

 are either ignorant or snobbish. 



Less. See fewer. 



Like Love. We like acquaintances, 

 horses, flowers, pictures, etc. We lore wives. 

 sweethearts, kinsmen, truth, justice, and country. 



Like As. "He looks like you." This 

 sentence may mean either "He looks as you 

 look," or " He resembles you in his appearance." 

 The sentence should read " He looks as you 

 look" or, "He is like you." Like is followed 

 by an object only, and does not admit of a verb 

 in the same construction. .4.s must be followed 

 by a verb expressed or understood. 



Like is sometimes improperly used in the 

 sense of as though, thus: "It looks like it was 

 caused by fire." 



Loan. See Lend. 



Lot Lots. Very inelegantly used for a 

 great many, a great deal ; " He nad a lot of money 

 left him"; "Lots of trouble came her way." 



Lunch. The correct substantive form is 

 luncheon. 



Make a Visit. We do not make visits. 

 we pay them. 



Malaria. This word is the name of a cause 

 of a disease, and not the name of a disease. \\ 

 do not suffer from malaria, but from the effect 

 of malaria, which is a noxious exhalation, usually 

 from marshy district-. 



Meat. We should ask for another helping, 

 of veal, steak, turkey, etc., and not for another 

 piece of meat. 



Middling. This word is an adjective, not 

 an adverb, hence we cannot say a thing is mid- 

 dling good, or that a thing was middling well 

 done. 



Mind is often misused for obey. To mind 

 is to attend to a thing so it will not be forgotten. 

 Will you <>h,-n me? ' Y not "Will you mind me" " 



Mistaken. " If I amjnot mistaken " should 

 be "If I mistake not." You are mistak< 

 correct form of expression; it means you have 

 been led into error. 



Most. This word should usually be omitted 

 from conversation and writing. Very is the 

 better word in almost every instance. It would 

 most (very) seriously affect us. This word is 

 often misused for almost: He comes here most 

 every day" should be "He comes hen- almost 

 every day." 



Mutual. This word is often confounded 

 with common. These words are correctly used 

 in the-e -entences: "Our former eorresjxmdenee 

 was renewed, with the mo-t hearty expression 

 (f mutual good will." \\ e 1 iriends 



in rinn- I'hey met at the house of a COtn- 



mtm friend." "Their mutual dislike mot dis- 

 like jnr rarh nthrr) was well known." 



M \ sHt". This pronoun should be used only 

 when- increased emphasis is aimed at, n> 

 will do it myself." etc. It i- ineorreet to My 

 v and m i/si I/ | 



N ii-H\ . Tin- very quintessence of popinjay 



villai iied when flirt hf is 



lor trrll. in this wisp: " How do you 

 w are you dy." 



N'IIMHTMIIS t60 used in place of large 



have niimrrnus acquaintances" 

 should be \\ . li:r stances." 



