Majority. Often confused with plurality.

Materialize. Used only colloquially and jocosely.

May. See page 45.

Most. Used colloquially for almost; e.g. "most all the time." Not in literary use.

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Mutual. Properly, reciprocal; e.g. "a mutual affection." Loosely used for common; e.g. a mutual friend." This second use was at first a vulgarism, but it has, since the publication of Dickens's novel, become more and more reputable, especially in this phrase.

Nice. Colloquially used of anything pleasing; e.g. "a nice day," "a nice dinner." Its literary use implies discrimination: "nice in his habits," 99 66 a nice calculation." One. It is a question whether we should say "one has such luck as one deserves," or 66 one has such luck as he deserves." Punctilious people have a prejudice for the former method of reference.

Onto. Onto is the result of a desire for a preposition formed from on, in the same way that into is formed from in. If it were accepted, we should say, "I lay on the bed, but I jumped onto the table." It is, however, usually regarded as a vulgarism. On has long been used with verbs of motion.

Oral. Oral, expressed in spoken words. Verbal, properly, relating to or concerned with words only; improperly confounded with oral. The words are correctly used as follows. "It was an oral message, but I will vouch for its verbal accuracy."

Party. Vulgarly used for person, man, etc.; e.g. "he is a nice old party."

'Phone. Slang for telephone.

Plenty. Used colloquially for enough, etc., “He had plenty to do."

Posted. Originally a commercial expression. Common

colloquially in its figurative sense, e.g. "a well-posted

man ; but not in wide literary use.

Practical. Sometimes confused with practicable.

Pronounced. An expression in imitation of a French idiom e.g. "his most pronounced habit," for "his most prominent or conspicuous habit." Not yet in thoroughly good literary use.

Propose, purpose. The strict meanings of the two words are obvious: "I purpose proposing this plan." Colloquially, propose is often used with the force of purpose, however; e.g. "I propose to go to town this afternoon." Proven. We usually and properly say proved; e.g. "the thing is not proved." There is, however, an old Scotch legal phrase, "not proven," which has of late years become common, and we now hear frequently that "this or that has been proven false, or not proven at all." Quite. Properly used in the sense of " entirely"; e.g. " quite dead." It has also been long used, chiefly colloquially, to mean 'moderately," "to a certain extent"; e.g. "it is quite a warm day." But the latter use has not been widely accepted in literature.

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Raise. Sometimes improperly used for rise; e.g. "there is likely to be a raise in prices."

Real. Sometimes improperly used with the force of "very"; e.g. "it's real hot."

Recipe, receipt. These words are often confused.

Recollect of, remember of. Vulgarisms.

Resume. Vulgarism for sum up. It is an imitation of a French word. See Assist at, Give upon, Pronounced. Right. Improperly used with the force of "very"; e.g. "it's right hot." See Real.

Sang, sung. It is more usual to say “he sang,” “he has sung." It is wrong to say " he has sang," but it is perfectly proper to say "he sung." Many verbs have two

preterites or two past participles, of which one is a little more commonly used than another; e.g. "he dived (dove)," "he was hanged (hung) for murder." The lists of principal parts in most grammars are incomplete and misleading. Consult a good dictionary whenever you are in doubt.

Sit, set. See page 46.

Some. Not to be used as an adverb, as in "I am some better," nor with quite, as in "I have quite some books."

Stop. It is proper to say that we stopped at an inn for supper, or for the night, or for a week, and then continued our journey. But the purists are right in preferring stay unless the intention is merely to indicate a break in a journey; e.g. "I am staying (not stopping) for the present at the Hotel St. George."

Team. A set of animals or men, not a horse and wagon.

Telegram. See page 29.

These kind or sort. An old-fashioned expression, now al

most or quite a vulgarism.

Transpire. To escape from secrecy, to ooze out; not simply to happen or to occur.

Very.

Very is not properly used alone with passive participles; i.e. we say "I was very glad to see him," but "I was very much pleased to find him at home."

Ways. A colloquialism or vulgarism; e.g. "I am going a ways further."

Whatever. Improperly used as an interrogative pronoun; e.g. "whatever do you mean by coming here?”

Wire. See Telegram, Cablegram, Automobile, 'Phone, etc. One of the words forced upon the language by modern. inventions. It should be noticed that this word, like 'phone, has remained in commercial and colloquial use, without reaching literary use.

SIGNS SUGGESTED FOR USE IN COR

RECTING COMPOSITIONS

MS. Bad manuscript.

Sp.- Bad spelling.

p.-Fault in punctuation.

cap. - Fault in the use of a capital letter.

I, 2, 3, etc.

- Words, clauses, or sentences to be rearranged in conformity with the numbering.

[ ] Passages within brackets to be omitted.

Against a clause, sentence, or paragraph incurable by correction, and requiring to be recast.

X- Some fault too obvious to require particularizing.