Ambrose Bierce - Write It Right. A Little Blacklist of Literary Faults

A contribution to our noble tongue by its scholastic conservators, "commencement day" being their name for the last day of the collegiate year. It is ingeniously defended on the ground that on that day those on whom degrees are bestowed commence to hold them. Lovely!

Instead of "He committed suicide," say, He killed himself, or, He took his life. For married we do not say "committed matrimony." Unfortunately most of us do say, "got married," which is almost as bad. For lack of a suitable verb we just sometimes say committed this or that, as in the instance of bigamy, for the verb to bigam is a blessing that is still in store for us.

"He had the immodesty to compare himself with Shakespeare." Nothing necessarily immodest in that. Comparison with may be for observing a difference; comparison to affirms a similarity.

Anticipatory past participle of the verb "to complect." Let us wait for that.

"I concluded to go to town." Having concluded a course of reasoning ( implied ) I decided to go to town. A decision is supposed to be made at the conclusion of a course of reasoning, but is not the conclusion itself. Conversely, the conclusion of a syllogism is not a decision, but an inference.

"In this connection I should like to say a word or two." In connection with this matter.

"The King was conscious of the conspiracy." We are conscious of what we feel; aware of what we know.

"He consented to that opinion." To consent is to agree to a proposal; to assent is to agree with a proposition.

"A conservative estimate"; "a conservative forecast"; "a conservative statement," and so on. These and many other abuses of the word are of recent growth in the newspapers and "halls of legislation." Having been found to have several meanings, conservative seems to be thought to mean everything.

It seems that these words should have the same meaning, but in their use by good writers there is a difference. What is done continually is not done all the time, but continuous action is without interruption. A loquacious fellow, who nevertheless finds time to eat and sleep, is continually talking; but a great river flows continuously.

"A man-of-war acted as convoy to the flotilla." The flotilla is the convoy, the man-of-war the escort.

For two things to be a couple they must be of one general kind, and their number unimportant to the statement made of them. It would be weak to say, "He gave me only one, although he took a couple for himself." Couple expresses indifference to the exact number, as does several. That is true, even in the phrase, a married couple, for the number is carried in the adjective and needs no emphasis.

Stage slang. "Burbage created the part of Hamlet." What was it that its author did to it?

"He has long been critically ill." A patient is critically ill only at the crisis of his disease.

Criticism is not necessarily censorious; it may approve.

Usually said of a child, or pet. This is pure Americanese, as is its synonym, "cute."

To be curious is to have an inquiring mind, or mood – curiosity.

Communities have customs; individuals, habits – commonly bad ones.

"It is decidedly cold."

To a newspaper reporter no one seems ever to say anything; all "declare." Like "alleged" ( which see ) the word is tiresome exceedingly.

A defalcation is a cutting off, a subtraction; a default is a failure in duty.

"It was definitely decided." Definitely means precisely, with exactness; definitively means finally, conclusively.

"He delivered an oration," or "delivered a lecture." Say, He made an oration, or gave a lecture.

"He demeaned himself by accepting charity." The word relates, not to meanness, but to demeanor, conduct, behavior. One may demean oneself with dignity and credit.

Usually said of a person of note. Demise means the lapse, as by death, of some authority, distinction or privilege, which passes to another than the one that held it; as the demise of the Crown.

One could as properly call the Christian Church "the Christianity."

"Railroad depot." A depot is a place of deposit; as, a depot of supply for an army.

"The mendicant showed the effects of deprivation." Deprivation refers to the act of depriving, taking away from; privation is the state of destitution, of not having.

Said of a building, or other structure. But the word is from the Latin " lapis" , a stone, and cannot properly be used of any but a stone structure.

"I will come directly" means that I will come by the most direct route.

A most disagreeable Americanism, discredited by general ( and Presidential ) use. "Make the dirt fly." Dirt means filth.

"The custom is distinctly Oriental." Distinctly is plainly; distinctively, in a way to distinguish one thing from others.

Good American, but not good English.

A doubly adverbial form, like "illy."

Not so common as it was a few years ago. Dress means the entire costume.

"The three looked at each other." That is, each looked at the other. But there were more than one other; so we should say they looked at one another, which means that each looked at another. Of two, say each other; of more than two, one another.

Edify means to build; it has, therefore, the sense of uplift, improvement – usually moral, or spiritual.

To one having even an elementary knowledge of Latin grammar this word is no less than disgusting, and the thing meant by it is felt to be altogether too good for the word's inventor.

Say, an empty bottle; but, a vacant house.

Good French, but bad English. Say, employee.

To endorse is to write upon the back of, or to sign the promissory note of another. It is a commercial word, having insufficient dignity for literary use. You may endorse a check, but you approve a policy, or statement.