Practical Grammar and Composition Part 52

Tales of a Traveller--Irving.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow--Irving.

Rip Van Winkle--Irving.

Lorna Doone--Blackmore.

Uncle William--Lee.

The Blue Flower--Van d.y.k.e.

Non-fiction: Sesame and Lilies--Ruskin.

Stones of Venice--Ruskin.

The American Commonwealth--Bryce.

A History of the English People--Green.

Views Afoot--Taylor.

The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table--Holmes.

Conspiracy of Pontiac--Parkman.

Autobiography--Franklin.

Lincoln--Douglas Debates.

Critical Periods of American History--Fiske.

Certain Delightful English Towns--Howells.

The Declaration of Independence.

Bunker Hill Oration--Webster.

On Conciliation with America--Burke.

The Sketch Book--Irving.

CHAPTER XII

WORDS.--SPELLING.--p.r.o.nUNCIATION

188. To write and to speak good English, one must have a good working vocabulary. He must know words and be able to use them correctly; he must employ only words that are in good use; he must be able to choose words and phrases that accurately express his meaning; and he must be able to spell and p.r.o.nounce correctly the words that he uses.

WORDS

189. GOOD USE. The first essential that a word should have, is that it be in good use. A word is in good use when it is used grammatically and in its true sense, and is also:

(1) _Reputable_; in use by good authors and writers in general.

The use of a word by one or two good writers is not sufficient to make a word reputable; the use must be general.

(2) _National_; not foreign or local in its use.

(3) _Present_; used by the writers of one's own time.

190. OFFENSES AGAINST GOOD USE. The offenses against good use are usually said to be of three cla.s.ses: Solecisms, Barbarisms, and Improprieties.

191. SOLECISMS are the violations of the principles of grammar.

Solecisms have been treated under the earlier chapters on grammar.

192. BARBARISMS. The second offense against good use, a barbarism, is a word not in reputable, present or national use. The following rules may be given on this subject:

1. AVOID OBSOLETE WORDS. Obsolete words are words that, once in good use, have since pa.s.sed out of general use. This rule might also be made to include obsolescent words: words that are at present time pa.s.sing out of use. Examples of obsolete words:

methinks yesterwhiles twixt yclept afeard shoon

2. AVOID NEWLY COINED EXPRESSIONS OR NEW USES OF OLD EXPRESSIONS.

There are a great many words current in the newspapers and in other hasty writing that have not the sanction of general good use at the present time, though many of these words may in time come into use. A safe rule is to avoid all words that are at all doubtful.

Examples:

an invite an expose a try enthuse a combine fake

A common newspaper fault is the coining of a verb or adjective from a noun, or a noun from a verb. Examples:

locomote suicided derailment pluralized burglarized refereed

3. AVOID FOREIGN WORDS. A foreign word should not be used until it has become naturalized by being in general, reputable use. Since there are almost always English words just as expressive as the foreign words, the use of the foreign words usually indicates affectation on the part of the one using them. Examples:

billet-doux (love letter) conversazione (conversation) ad nauseam (to disgust) distingue (distinguished) ad infinitum (infinitely) entre nous (between us)

4. AVOID PROVINCIALISMS. Provincialisms are expressions current and well understood in one locality, but not current or differently understood in another locality. Examples:

guess (think) reckon (suppose) near (stingy) smart (clever) tuckered (tired out) lift (elevator) tote (carry) ruination (ruin)

5. AVOID VULGARISMS. Vulgarisms are words whose use shows vulgarity or ignorance. Such words as the following are always in bad taste:

chaw n.i.g.g.e.r your'n gal fl.u.s.trated hadn't oughter haint dern his'n

6. AVOID SLANG. Slang is a form of vulgarism that is very prevalent in its use even by educated people. Slang words, it is true, sometimes come into good repute and usage, but the process is slow. The safest rule is to avoid slang expressions because of their general bad taste and because of their weakening effect on one's vocabulary of good words. Examples of slang:

grind swipe booze long green on a toot dough pinch peach dukes

7. AVOID CLIPPED OR ABBREVIATED WORDS. The use of such words is another form of vulgarism. Examples:

pard (partner) rep (reputation) doc (doctor) cal'late (calculate) musee (museum) a comp (complimentary ticket)

8. AVOID TECHNICAL OR PROFESSIONAL WORDS. Such words are usually clearly understood only by persons of one cla.s.s or profession.

Examples:

valence hagiology allonge kilowatt sclerosis estoppel

193. WHEN BARBARISMS MAY BE USED. In the foregoing rules barbarisms have been treated as at all times to be avoided. This is true of their use in general composition, and in a measure true of their use in composition of a special nature. But barbarisms may sometimes be used properly. Obsolete words would be permissible in poetry or in historical novels, technical words permissible in technical writing, and even vulgarisms and provincialisms permissible in dialect stories.

EXERCISE 76

_Subst.i.tute for each of the barbarisms in the following list an expression that is in good use. When in doubt consult a good dictionary:_

Chaw, quoth, fake, reckon, dern, forsooth, his'n, an invite, entre nous, tote, hadn't oughter, yclept, a combine, ain't, dole, a try, nouveau riche, puny, grub, twain, a boom, alter ego, a poke, cuss, eld, enthused, mesalliance, tollable, disremember, locomote, a right smart ways, c.h.i.n.k, afeard, orate, nary a one, yore, pluralized, distingue, ruination, complected, mayhap, burglarized, mal de mer, tuckered, grind, near, suicided, callate, cracker-jack, erst, railroaded, chic, down town, deceased (verb), a rig, swipe, spake, on a toot, knocker, peradventure, guess, prof, cla.s.sy, booze, per se, cute, biz, bug-house, swell, opry, rep, photo, cinch, corker, in cahoot, pants, fess up, exam, bike, incog, zoo, secondhanded, getable, outcla.s.sed, gents, mucker, galoot, dub, up against it, on tick, to rattle, in hock, busted on the b.u.m, to watch out, get left.

EXERCISE 77

_Make a list of such barbarisms as you yourself use, and devise for them as many good subst.i.tute expressions as you can. Practice using the good expressions that you have made._