26. I take no stock in a man of his kind.

27. I disremember the circumstances.

28. The store was burglarized some time in May.

29. Your friend has invested all his money in the enterprise, and he expects it to prove a bonanza.

30. The remarks of the speaker were entirely apropos to the

occasion.

31. His persistent mulishness will eventuate in defeating the project.

32. The young lady exclaimed as she looked at the picture, "It is beautiful beyond compare !”

33. Abundance of finesse is necessary to manage this matter. 34. All his relations disowned him and set him adrift.

35. The men, having completed their work, were leisurely traveling homeward.

36. That was a sure-enough rain we had this morning.

37. It will take a right smart sprinkle to benefit the growing

crops.

38. Most of the folks in these parts are up to any new dodge that comes along.

39. Wire me instanter when you reach your domicile.

40. Your candidness is certainly worthy of commend.

41. I shall be glad to have you give me a recommend for the position.

42. Those who failed to succeed were somewhat down in the mouth.

43. Those who were absent when the resolution passed were inclined to kick.

2. PROPRIETY.

Propriety of diction has reference to the use of words in their proper sense. The difference between purity and propriety is this: purity requires that a word be one in current use as a part of the language; propriety requires that the word be used correctly in the sentence

in which it occurs. Good usage in either case is the best of diction. A word may be strictly good, so far as purity is concerned, but may not express in the sentence the meaning to be conveyed, in which case propriety is violated.

Note. Modern languages are constantly undergoing change. This is especially true of English. Many words differ greatly in their present meaning from their original signification. In order to be appropriate they must be used with their present signification. Examples.-The following are a few examples of words that have undergone a change of meaning:

A clerk was originally a clergyman; in Chaucer's time he was a college student; still later he was a bookkeeper; now he is either an accountant or a salesman.

Let once meant "hinder"; now it means "permit", almost the opposite of its original signification.

Knave at one time meant simply a boy, while now it signifies one who is dishonest or deceitful.

Silly formerly meant "blessed", as Christ is spoken of as the “silly babe”; now it means foolish.

Prevent originally meant to "come before"; now it means to hinder.

Liquidate once meant to change from solid to liquid form; afterward it meant to make clear or transparent; now it means to pay debts.

Painful originally applied to the care necessary to prepare work, as “a painful sermon” was one that required care or pains to produce; now the term is applied to that which produces pain; as, “the remark was painful to the persons addressed." Prejudice originally meant simply a prejudging or judging beforehand; now it is applied only to unfavorable prejudging.

A candidate was originally one who shone (candeo, "I shine”) from wearing a white toga; now it applies to every one who is an applicant for place or position.

Rules for Propriety.-Several things are necessary to acquire propriety of diction, among which close observa

tion of the sense in which good authors use special words is one of the most important. The student should also make frequent use of the best dictionaries. The etymology of the words is also a help, but, on account of the constant linguistic change spoken of in the foregoing paragraphs, care must be taken to learn the present signification and usage of words.

The following rules or suggestions will be of use in selecting appropriate words:

RULE 1. Avoid confounding words derived from the same

root.

Thus we have conscience and consciousness, both derived from con and scio, and both etymologically implying a knowing together. Conscience, however, is restricted to the moral power that distinguishes between right and wrong in human action, while consciousness is simply the mind's power of knowing its own actions.

Examples.-The following are examples of words likely to be confounded:

Contemptible signifies that which deserves contempt, while contemptuous means filled with contempt. Thus, we speak of contemptible persons and contemptible acts, but our opinions of them are contemptuous.

Construe means to interpret, while construct means to build. Thus, we construct a sentence by writing it, but we construe its meaning when we interpret or translate it.

To convince is to satisfy the understanding, but to convict is to pronounce guilty. Thus, we may say, “The jury, having been convinced, voted to convict the prisoner."

Ceremonious is properly applied to forms of civility, while ceremonial is applied to external rites.

Deadly means that which causes death, while deathly is that which resembles death. Thus, we speak of a deadly weapon and of a deathly pallor.

Enormity has reference to deeds of great horror, while enor

mousness is applied to things of great size. Thus, we speak of the enormity of great crimes, and the enormousness of plains or of great wealth.

Falseness is applied to persons as the opposite of truthfulness; falsity is applied to things as the opposite of truth; while a falsehood is an untrue assertion. Thus, we speak of the falseness of one's character, the falsity of a proposition, and of the telling of a falsehood.

Healthful refers to wholesomeness, while healthy has reference to one's health. An article of food or a climate is healthful, but a person is healthy or otherwise.

Luxuriant means superabundant, while luxurious means contributing to luxury. Thus, we speak of luxuriant vegetation and luxuriant growth, but of luxurious ease.

Negligence is a habit; neglect, an act. Thus, we speak of one's negligence as the cause of his misfortunes, but of his losing an opportunity by his own neglect.

Predict means to foretell; predicate, to assert. Thus, we may predict the condition of the weather, but we predicate of an object some action or quality; as, Birds sing sweetly; Snow is white.

Womanly means belonging to woman, while womanish means effeminate. The womanly character is highly respected, but womanish ways in men are a sign of a weak mind.

RULE 2. Use words in their accepted sense.

The requirements of propriety and precision do not greatly differ on this point. Only such meaning should be attached to a word as is generally understood to belong to it. This may be illustrated in the words mutual and common. Mutual means

reciprocal, but not common. Thus, two persons may be mutual friends if each be a friend of the other, but a third may be a friend to each of two who are not friends to each other. He is a common and not a mutual friend. The expression "our mutual friend" is therefore incorrect.

The following examples will illustrate the rule:

Aggravate is frequently improperly used for irritate. Aggravate means to add weight; irritate means to provoke. Thus, “The offence was aggravated;" "His conduct was irritating.”

to, while the latter means by the side of. Thus, "There were four besides us standing beside the table."

Calculate is misused for intended, conducive, or fit. Calculate means to compute or reckon. The word is improperly used in the following: "Some novels are calculated to do harm rather than good."

Character is misused for reputation. Character is what a man is; reputation is what he is thought to be. Thus, a man of good reputation may be of bad character.

Couple is misused for two. Couple means two joined or paired. Thus, a man and wife are a couple, but two dollars are not a couple.

Confess is misused for admit. To confess implies a fault. Thus, "I confess I am wrong;" "I admit that I understand the matter."

Discover is misused for invent. To discover is to find or to find out. We discover causes and truths. To invent is to make an idea a reality for the first time. We invent machines, devices, etc. Except is misused for unless. The former is usually a preposition; the latter, a conjunction. Thus, "All will go except him"; "I will not go unless he goes."

Verbal is misused for oral. Verbal means consisting of words; oral means spoken. All composition, oral or written, is verbal, but only spoken composition is oral. We should therefore speak of a spoken report not as a verbal, but as an oral report.

It has been claimed that like should be used only as an adjective, and that we should substitute as in sentences where like performs the office of a conjunctive adverb, as in the sentence, "He sings like a nightingale (sings)." It should be remembered, however, that it is not the office of either the grammarian or the rhetorician to make rules, but to show what good usage is, and to formulate rules only in accordance with the best usage. Like is used with entire propriety as an adjective after a neuter or a non-active verb; as, "He is like (unto) his father," and it is used with equal propriety as an adverb after an active verb; as, "He runs like a deer (runs)." To say that one runs as a deer conveys the idea that his manner of running (by leaps) is like that of a deer; whereas we want to convey the impression