Commonly Misused Words 1: Wisdom from 1922

I recently came across a pamphlet called Slips of Speech and How to Avoid Them. It was published in 1922 and written by Frank H. Vizetelly, Litt.D, LLD, Managing Editor of the Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary and its Abridgements. This fading, dog-eared publication is about 6 inches long and 4 inches wide. It has only 36 pages, yet it contains gems of clarity and definition that are still useful today. Thirty-two examples struck me as especially interesting; I will share some in this post and some in future posts (phrases in parentheses are mine).

Angry Mob (The author points out that this phrase is redundant as there is no such thing as a calm mob.) The word mob connotes a riotous assembly; thus there is no need to write angry.

Anxious/Eager
Anxious is to be in a state of painful suspense or uneasiness, and should not be used for eager, which describes a state of ardent longing or earnest desire for something. One may be eager to receive attention but not anxious for it. (we hope.) One may be anxious about the illness of a friend and may be eager for his recovery.

Answer/ Reply 
The distinction made between the meanings of these words is that an answer is given to a question and a reply is made to an assertion A reply aims to explain or refute; an answer to inform, affirm, or contradict.

Born/Borne 
Not “He was born on their shoulders” (unless his mother had very unusual views about birthing positions). Instead write “He was borne on their shoulders.”

Contemptible/Contemptuous
Contemptible characterizes that which is despicable and deserving of contempt. Contemptuous indicates the manifestation of disdain or scornful superiority; haughtiness. To refuse the hospitality of one’s home to a relative is a contemptible act; to speak to her contemptuously is not to behave as as gentlewoman (or man).

Deprecate/Depreciate
The meanings of these words are sometimes confused. To deprecate is to express strong disapproval of; as to deprecate the course taken or plan adoped. Depreciate signifies to lower in estimation or value; disparage underrate, as to depreciate human nature. (I think that the word depreciate is rarely used in that context anymore; reserve it for its financial sense of an assetor diminishing in value over time.)

Discover/Invent
One discovers that of which one obtains first knowledge, and invents that which one constructs, that did not exist before,. Amundsen discovered the North Pole. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin.

The next blog post will contain more still-relevant distinctions from the past century.

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