FullReads

Total. “The figures totaled 10,000.” Say, The total of the figures was 10,000.

Transaction for Action, or Incident. “The policeman struck the man with his club, but the transaction was not reported.” “The picking of a pocket is a criminal transaction.” In a transaction two or more persons must have an active or assenting part; as, a business transaction, Transactions of the Geographical Society, etc. The Society’s action would be better called Proceedings.

Transpire for Occur, Happen, etc. “This event transpired in 1906.” Transpire (trans, through, and spirare, to breathe) means leak out, that is, become known. What transpired in 1906 may have occurred long before.

Trifling for Trivial. “A trifling defect”; “a trifling error.”

Trust for Wealthy Corporation. There are few trusts; capitalists have mostly abandoned the trust form of combination.

Try an Experiment. An experiment is a trial; we cannot try a trial. Say, make.

Try and for Try to. “I will try and see him.” This plainly says that my effort to see him will succeed–which I cannot know and do not wish to affirm. “Please try and come.” This colloquial slovenliness of speech is almost universal in this country, but freedom of speech is one of our most precious possessions.

Ugly for Ill-natured, Quarrelsome. What is ugly is the temper, or disposition, not the person having it.

Under-handed and Under-handedly for Under-hand. See Off-handed.

Unique. “This is very unique.” “The most unique house in the city.” There are no degrees of uniqueness: a thing is unique if there is not another like it. The word has nothing to do with oddity, strangeness, nor picturesqueness.

United States as a Singular Noun. “The United States is for peace.” The fact that we are in some ways one nation has nothing to do with it; it is enough to know that the word States is plural–if not, what is State? It would be pretty hard on a foreigner skilled in the English tongue if he could not venture to use our national name without having made a study of the history of our Constitution and political institutions. Grammar has not a speaking acquaintance with politics, and patriotic pride is not schoolmaster to syntax.

Unkempt for Disordered, Untidy, etc. Unkempt means uncombed, and can properly be said of nothing but the hair.

Use for Treat. “The inmates were badly used.” “They use him harshly.”

Utter for Absolute, Entire, etc. Utter has a damnatory signification and is to be used of evil things only. It is correct to say utter misery, but not “utter happiness;” utterly bad, but not “utterly good.”

Various for Several. “Various kinds of men.” Kinds are various of course, for they vary–that is what makes them kinds. Use various only when, in speaking of a number of things, you wish to direct attention to their variety–their difference, one from another. “The dividend was distributed among the various stockholders.” The stockholders vary, as do all persons, but that is irrelevant and was not in mind. “Various persons have spoken to me of you.” Their variation is unimportant; what is meant is that there was a small indefinite number of them; that is, several.

Ventilate for Express, Disclose, etc. “The statesman ventilated his views.” A disagreeable and dog-eared figure of speech.

Verbal for Oral. All language is verbal, whether spoken or written, but audible speech is oral. “He did not write, but communicated his wishes verbally.” It would have been a verbal communication, also, if written.

Vest for Waistcoat. This is American, but as all Americans are not in agreement about it it is better to use the English word.

Vicinity for Vicinage, or Neighborhood. “He lives in this vicinity.” If neither of the other words is desired say, He lives in the vicinity of this place, or, better, He lives near by.

View of. “He invested with the view of immediate profit.” “He enlisted with the view of promotion.” Say, with a view to.

Vulgar for Immodest, Indecent. It is from vulgus, the common people, the mob, and means both common and unrefined, but has no relation to indecency.