Write It Right. A Little Blacklist of Literary Faults

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.

Way for Away

'Way out at sea.' 'Way down South.'

Ways for Way

'A squirrel ran a little ways along the road.' 'The ship looked a long ways off.' This surprising word calls loudly for depluralization.

Wed for Wedded

'They were wed at noon.' 'He wed her in Boston.' The word wed in all its forms as a substitute for marry, is pretty hard to bear.

Well

As a mere meaningless prelude to a sentence this word is overtasked. 'Well, I don't know about that.' 'Well, you may try.' 'Well, have your own way.'

Wet for Wetted

See Bet.

Where for When

'Where there is reason to expect criticism write discreetly.'

Which for That

'The boat which I engaged had a hole in it.' But a parenthetical clause may rightly be introduced by which; as, The boat, which had a hole in it, I nevertheless engaged. Which and that are seldom interchangeable; when they are, use that. It sounds better.

Whip for Chastise, or Defeat

To whip is to beat with a whip. It means nothing else.

Whiskers for Beard

The whisker is that part of the beard that grows on the cheek. See Chin Whiskers.