Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 164 pages of information about Slips of Speech .

Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 164 pages of information about Slips of Speech .

74

the idea of a large quantity or in large measure; as, “We have right smart of peaches this summer,” meaning “We have a large crop of peaches;” “He knows right smart of Latin” for “He knows considerable Latin” or “He is well versed in Latin.”

Little bit

“Will you have some of this pudding?”

“If you please.  Give me a little bit.”

“Did you injure yourself when you fell?”

“No; but I soiled my clothing a little bit.”

A small portion or piece, in the first sentence, and slightly, in the second, would serve as good equivalents for a little bit.

Sight

“There was a sight of people at the fair to-day.”  In the sense of a large number, this word, like the word lot, should be avoided.

Crowd

A dozen persons may constitute a crowd if they push and jostle one another by reason of insufficient space.  A thousand men will not form a crowd if all have ample room to sit or stand or move about.

Chuck-full

This word is not authorized.  Chock-full and choke-full may be used, but are not elegant.
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75

Contemplate, Propose

Contemplate is often incorrectly used for propose; as, “I contemplate going to the country.”

Dispense, Dispense with

These expressions are not synonymous.  To dispense is to give; to dispense with is to do without.  The pharmacist dispenses medicines; we should be pleased if we could dispense with them.

Dry, Thirsty

Dry is often incorrectly used in the sense of thirsty; as, “I am dry; let me have a glass of water.”  To say, “I am dry; my waterproof and umbrella kept out the rain,” is correct.

Dutch, German

Do not call a German a Dutchman.  A Dutchman comes from Holland, a German from Germany.

Evacuate, Vacate

Evacuate means to make empty, and should not be used in the sense of to go away, to vacate.

Different than, Different to

“The school is conducted in a very different manner than it used to be.”  “This basket of roses is different to yours.”  The above and similar expressions are decided vulgarisms, and should be avoided.
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76

“The school is conducted in a very different manner from what it used to be.”  “This basket of roses is different from yours.”

Drive, Ride

Some confusion exists in the use of the words drive and ride.  In England the distinction is made of applying ride to going on horseback and drive to going in a carriage, whether you ride or drive.  That usage is not closely followed in this country.  He who guides the horse drives; the rest of the company ride.  The noun and participial forms are more excusable than the verb.  “Jones asked me to drive with him this afternoon.”  But as Jones expects to do the driving himself, the speaker should have said, “Jones asked me to take a ride,” or “go driving,” or “take a drive,” etc.

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Project Gutenberg
Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.