Slips of Speech | Page 9

the direction, and away magnifies the distance. As most persons know the direction, and as modern railway travel shortens long distances, the abbreviated sentence is sufficiently full.
Ways, Way
"He is a long ways from home" is a very common, but faulty expression. Say "Uncle Charles is now a long way on his journey." "The boat is a good way off the shore."
Whole, All
"The whole of the scholars went to the fair to-day." "All of the school went to the fair to-day." The sentences will be improved by transposing whole and all. "All of the scholars went to the fair to-day," not half of them. "The whole school went to the fair to-day," not a part of it. All refers to the individual scholars; whole to the school as a unit.
Without, Unless
"He cannot miss the way without he forgets my instructions." "I will not dig the potatoes without Tom comes to help." Use unless instead of without.
Worse, More
"He dislikes arithmetic worse than grammar." Use more instead of worse.
Rarely, Rare
"It is rarely that you hear of a prodigal youth growing into an economical man." Rarely should be rare to form the adjective attribute of the verb.
Real, Really
Real is often incorrectly used as an adverb, especially by schoolgirls; as, "I think he is real mean." The grammar will be improved by substituting really for real, but the expression, as a whole, being applied to all kinds and degrees of offenses, has become meaningless.
Real is often carelessly used in the sense of very; as real pretty, real bright, real kind.
Recipe, Receipt
A recipe is a formula for making some mixture or preparation of materials; a receipt is an acknowledgment of that which has been received.
Region, Neighborhood
Region is a broader and more comprehensive term, and should not be applied to the narrow limits of a neighborhood.
Remit, Send
The word remit is often used when send would be better. Remit means to send back, to forgive, to relax. In its commercial sense it means to transmit or send money in payment of a demand; as, "He remitted the amount by mail."
Residence, House
This pretentious word is often used when house or home would be in better taste.
Deface, Disfigure
"The walls of many public buildings are defaced by persons who desire that their names shall remain when they are gone." "They disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast." Disfigure applies more generally to persons; deface, to things.
Demean, Degrade
The word demean is often incorrectly used in the sense of degrade, lower. It should be used in the sense of behave, conduct, deport, and not in the sense of degrade.
Depot, Station
For many years the word depot was largely employed in the sense of a railway station. Its primary meaning is a warehouse or storehouse or military station. As applied to a stopping place for railroad trains the
English word station is greatly to be preferred to the French word depot, and is rapidly coming into general use in this country.
Description, Kind
"Flowers of every description were found in his garden." In the above sense the word kind or variety would be more appropriate.
Bring, Fetch, Carry
Bring implies motion from the object toward the person who issues the command or makes the request. Fetch implies two motions, first, toward the object; second, toward the person who wishes it. The gardener, who is in the garden, calls to his servant, who is at the barn, "John, bring me the rake. You will find it in the barn." And if John is with him in the garden, he would say, "John, fetch me the rake from the barn."
The use of fetch is more common among English writers than with us. In fact, many speakers and writers in America rarely use the word.
Carry is a more general term, and means to convey, without thought of the direction.
Character, Reputation
These words are often confounded. "Character," says Abbott, "is what a person is; reputation is what he is supposed to be. Character is in himself,
reputation is in the minds of others. Character is injured by temptations and by wrong-doing; reputation by slanders and libels. Character endures throughout defamation in every form, but perishes where there is a voluntary transgression; reputation may last through numerous transgressions, but be destroyed by a single, and even an unfounded, accusation or aspersion."
Farther, Further
Although these words are often used interchangeably even by good writers, yet a finer taste and a keener power of discrimination is shown in the use of farther when referring to literal distance, and of further in reference to quantity or degree; as, "Each day's journey removes them farther from home," "He concluded his speech by remarking that he had nothing further to say." Farther is the comparative of far; further is the comparative of forth.
Fault, Defect
Speakers and writers often fail to discriminate in the use of these words. A defect implies