Phrase books that show the origins of familiar expressions will surprise most of us by showing how carelessly everyday speech is used.  Brewer’s “A Dictionary of Phrase, and Fable,” Edwards’ “Words, Facts, and Phrases,” and Thornton’s “An American Glossary,” are all good—­the last, an expensive work in three volumes.

A prefix or a suffix may essentially change the force of the stem, as in master-ful and master-ly, contempt-ible and contempt-uous, envi-ous and envi-able.  Thus to study words in groups, according to their stems, prefixes, and suffixes is to gain a mastery over their shades of meaning, and introduce us to other related words.

Do not Favor one Set or Kind of Words more than Another

“Sixty years and more ago, Lord Brougham, addressing the students of the University of Glasgow, laid down the rule that the native (Anglo-Saxon) part of our vocabulary was to be favored at the expense of that other part which has come from the Latin and Greek.  The rule was an impossible one, and Lord Brougham himself never tried seriously to observe it; nor, in truth, has any great writer made the attempt.  Not only is our language highly composite, but the component words have, in De Quincey’s phrase, ‘happily coalesced.’  It is easy to jest at words in _-osity_ and _-ation_, as ‘dictionary’ words, and the like.  But even Lord Brougham would have found it difficult to dispense with pomposity and imagination."[34]

The short, vigorous Anglo-Saxon will always be preferred for passages of special thrust and force, just as the Latin will continue to furnish us with flowing and smooth expressions; to mingle all sorts, however, will give variety—­and that is most to be desired.

Discuss Words With Those Who Know Them

Since the language of the platform follows closely the diction of everyday speech, many useful words may be acquired in conversation with cultivated men, and when such discussion takes the form of disputation as to the meanings and usages of words, it will prove doubly valuable.  The development of word-power marches with the growth of individuality.

Search Faithfully for the Right Word

Books of reference are tripled in value when their owner has a passion for getting the kernels out of their shells.  Ten minutes a day will do wonders for the nut-cracker.  “I am growing so peevish about my writing,” says Flaubert.  “I am like a man whose ear is true, but who plays falsely on the violin:  his fingers refuse to reproduce precisely those sounds of which he has the inward sense.  Then the tears come rolling down from the poor scraper’s eyes and the bow falls from his hand.”

The same brilliant Frenchman sent this sound advice to his pupil, Guy de Maupassant:  “Whatever may be the thing which one wishes to say, there is but one word for expressing it, only one verb to animate it, only one adjective to qualify it.  It is essential to search for this word, for this verb, for this adjective, until they are discovered, and to be satisfied with nothing else.”