Читать книгу Facts and fancies for the curious from the harvest-fields of literature - Charles C. Bombaugh - Страница 75

Aspirant.

Authoress.

“Being” done, built, etc.

Bogus.

Bagging, for “capturing.”

Balance, for “remainder.”

Banquet, for “dinner.”

Collided.

Commenced, for “begun.”

Couple, for “two.”

Debut.

Donate and donation.

Employee.

“Esq.”

Indorse, for “approve.”

Gents, for “gentlemen.”

“Hon.”

Inaugurated, for “begun.”

Initiated, for “begun.”

In our midst.

Ignore.

Jeopardize.

Juvenile, for “boy.”

Jubilant, for “rejoicing.”

Lady, for “wife.”

Lengthy.

Loafer.

Loan or loaned, for “lend” or “lent.”

Located.

Measurable, for “in a measure.”

Ovation.

Obituary, for “death.”

Parties, for “persons.”

Posted for “informed.”

Poetess.

Portion, for “part.”

Predicate.

Progressing.

Pants, for “pantaloons.”

Quite, prefixed to “good,” “large,” etc.

Raid, for “attack.”

Realized, for “obtained.”

Reliable for “trustworthy.”

Repudiate, for “reject” or “disown.”

Retire, for “withdraw.”

Rôle, for “part.”

Rowdies.

Roughs.

A success, for “successful.”

States, for “says.”

Taboo.

Transpire, for “occur.”

To progress.

Tapis.

Talented.

The deceased.

Vicinity, for “neighborhood.”

Wall Street slang generally: “Bulls, bears, long, short, flat, corner, tight, etc.”

To this list might be added without as the synonym of unless,—e. g., “I would not proceed without he agreed;” directly for as soon as,—e. g., “I gave him the letter directly I saw him;” apprehend for think, fancy, believe, imagine; from hence, from thence, from whence; mutual applied to persons (“our mutual friend”) instead of limiting it to actions, sentiments, affections; try and for try to; but that,—e. g., “he never doubts but that he knows their intentions;” widow-lady or widow-woman, though those who use these expressions never say widower-gentleman or widower-man. To the phrase in Mr. Bryant’s list in our midst, which is no better than in our middle, and very different from “in the midst of,” etc., may be added the never ending, still beginning in this connection, instead of “in connection with the foregoing,” etc. Even more careless and more thoughtless on the part of our best writers and speakers—not the vulgarians who use like in place of as—is the constant misuse of the phrase of all others. As Mr. Gould remarks, “How one thing can be of other things, is the question. One thing can be above other things, but it cannot be of them. A thing can be of all things, the most; or of all things, the richest, etc., or, of a class, the best; but the introduction of ‘others’ into the phrases in question excludes from the ‘class’ or from the ‘all,’ the very thing named.” A common blunder is the use of the past for the present tense when the writer or speaker wishes to express an existing fact,—e. g., “the truth was that A struck the first blow,” instead of the truth is. What is the more remarkable is the use of a verb in the past tense with an infinitive in the past tense, which is frequently met with in English literature. For example, Dr. Johnson says, “Had this been the fate of Tasso, he would have been able to have celebrated the condescension of your majesty in noble language.” Alison says, “It was expected that his first act would have been to have sent for Lords Grey and Grenville.” How much more simple as well as more correct to say to celebrate and to send.