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

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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,

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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 a deficiency, a lack, a falling short, while a fault signifies that there is something wrong.

"Men still had faults, and men will have them still, He that hath none, and lives as angels do Must be an angel."

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"It is in general more profitable to reckon up our defects than to boast of our attainments."

Few, Little

These words and their comparatives, fewer, less, are often confounded.

Few relates to number, or to what may be counted; little refers to quantity, or to what may be measured. A man may have few books and little money; he may have fewer friends and less influence than his neighbor. But do not say "The man has less friends than his neighbor."

Each other, One another

While some excellent authorities use these expressions interchangeably, most grammarians and authors employ each other in referring to two persons or things, and one another when more than two are considered; as, "Both contestants speak kindly of each other."

"Gentlemen are always polite to one another."

Those who prefer to have wide latitude in speech will be glad to know that Murray, in one of the rules in his grammar, says, "Two negatives in English destroy one another."

Shakespeare says, "It is a good divine that follows his own instructions. I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of

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the twenty to follow mine own teaching." This is as true of expression as of morals.

Either, Neither

"Palms and beautiful flowers lined the hall on either side," is a common but faulty form of expression. Either refers to one of two things. In the foregoing sentence the thought is that both sides of the hall were lined, hence the word both should have been used. If, however, each side of the hall is thought of separately, then each, would be the proper word to employ.

"Either of the two books will please you." "Any of the three books will prove satisfactory." "Any one of the five men would make a good candidate." "Neither of the two men will serve." "None of the ten men were present." "Not one of all the houses was left standing." These sentences represent the best usage with regard to either, neither, and also of any, none, any one, not one.

These kind

Adjectives implying number must agree with the nouns which they qualify. This and that qualify nouns in the singular; these and those belong to nouns in the plural.

"These kind of potatoes grow well in this soil." Use this. "This twenty years have I known him."

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Use these. "The beam was two foot above my head," Use feet. "For this, among other reasons, I abandoned the profession." Say "For this reason, among others, I abandoned the profession." "He rides the bicycle daily, and by this means he preserves his health." "The partners were all honest, courteous, and industrious, and by these means acquired wealth." The word means being either singular or plural, the two preceding sentences are both correct.

Some means or another

"By some means or another he always gets the better part of the bargain." This sentence may be corrected by saying "one means or another," or "some means or other."

Than

After other, otherwise, else, or an adjective in the comparative degree, than should be used, and not but or except.

"No other way but this was open to him." Use than.