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Monster Media 1996 #14
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Monster Media No. 14 (April 1996) (Monster Media, Inc.).ISO
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24, 74, 1, 4, 159, 1, 0
[RD,RD]
[BK,WH] ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING IS THE FUTURE
[MG,MG]
[YW,LB]â██████████████████████████████████████████á[LB,LB]
[WH,BK]▓▓▓▓▓ FREQUENTLY MISUSED WORDS ▓▓▓▓▓[LB,LB]
[YW,LB]████████████████████████████████████████████[LB,LB]
[BK,LC] ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐ [LB,LB]
[BK,LC] │ FIRST, two words frequently misused │ [LB,LB]
[BK,LC] │ by people who should know better │ [LB,LB]
[BK,LC] └───────────────────────────────────────┘ [LB,LB]
[BK,YW] UNIQUE [WH,LB]
It means "one of a kind." No more; no less. There
are no degrees of uniqueness. It can't be very
unique, slightly unique, somewhat unique, or the
most unique. Either it's unique or it isn't.
[LB,YW]⌠ Page Down ⌡[LB,LB]
[BK,YW] CONVINCE [WH,LB]
To be convinced is to believe, not necessarily
moved to action. It's not a synonym for Persuade.
Convince must be followed by one of two words --
"of" or "that".
You may convince the manager OF the desirability of
taking action. You may convince the manager THAT he
should take action.
By convincing him you make him believe. But,
believing is not the same as taking action.
You do not "convince the manager TO take action."
The word you need here is "persuade." You may
CONVINCE the manager of the need for action and
then you may PERSUADE the manager to take action.
[LB,YW]⌠ Page Down ⌡[LB,LB]
[YW,LB]â█████████████████████████á[LB,LB]
[WH,BK]▓▓▓▓▓ HERE ARE OTHERS ▓▓▓▓▓[LB,LB]
[YW,LB]███████████████████████████[LB,LB]
[BK,YW] Affect, effect [WH,LB]
Usually, AFFECT is the verb; EFFECT is the noun.
"The letter did not affect the outcome." "The
letter had a significant effect."
EFFECT can be a verb meaning to bring about change,
such as "It's almost impossible to effect change."
[BK,YW] Afterward, afterwards [WH,LB]
Use "afterward."
[BK,YW] All right [WH,LB]
This is correct. "Alright" is a non-word.
[BK,YW] Allude, elude [WH,LB]
You allude to (mention) a person or myth, etc.
You elude (escape) a pursuer.
[BK,YW] Among, between [WH,LB]
Between two, or among three or more. You cannot
stand between three people. You cannot choose
between three options.
[BK,YW] Annual [WH,LB]
Don't use first with it. If it's the first time
it can't be annual.
[BK,YW] As of yet [WH,LB]
Started as a jocular, colorful bit by a newspaper
columnist in the '50s. Many lazy writers used it.
Now many younger writers don't know any better.
Forget it. As of now.
[BK,YW] Averse, adverse [WH,LB]
If you don't like it you're averse to it.
Adverse is an adjective meaning bad. Adverse
conditions, adverse weather.
[BK,YW] Block, bloc [LB,LB]
A BLOC is a coalition of persons or a group with
the same purpose or goal. It's not a block, which
has more than three dozen dictionary definitions.
[BK,YW] Capitol, capital [LB,LB]
Capitol is the capitol building, site of the
governor's office and legislative halls.
Capital is the city. Or it may be a form of wealth:
capital investment
capital expense
working capital
[BK,YW] Careen, career [LB,LB]
These two words frequently are confused. CAREEN
(rhymes with lean) means to tilt or lean sharply.
The car careened around the corner on two wheels.
CAREER means to move at high speed. The car
careered off the road and plowed through a fence.
Because the words are so frequently confused, in
most cases it may be better to find different words
to say what you mean.
[BK,YW] City Identifications [LB,LB]
A town in Texas is named Chicago.
Arkansas, Illinois and Georgia have towns named
Nashville.
There's a Las Vegas in New Mexico.
Illinois and Texas have towns named Paris.
Unless you're referring to one of them, omit the
name of the state or country. The same admonition
applies to all major cities of the nation and the
world.
But, Washington?
If there's a reasonable possibility of
confusion, make it Washington, D.C. or
Washington state.
North Carolina has a town named Washington. Natives
of the eastern part of the state refer to it as
"Little Washington." Unless you're a native
communicating with another native, identify it as
"Washington, N. C."
[BK,YW] Compose, comprise [LB,LB]
You COMPOSE things by putting them together. When
the parts are together, the object COMPRISES or
includes or embraces the parts. In most cases the
better part of valor is to use another word.
[BK,YW] Continually, continuously [LB,LB]
Continually implies that the activity goes on, but
with intermittent interruptions.
EXAMPLE: The neighbors' stereo blasts continually.
But they do turn it off occasionally.
Continuous applies to an unceasing activity.
EXAMPLE: In West Texas the wind blows continuously.
It never stops.
[BK,YW] Demolish, destroy [LB,LB]
To do away with completely. "Partially destroy," is
impossible. Either it's destroyed or it isn't.
"Totally destroyed" is redundant.
[BK,YW] Different from [LB,LB]
Things and people are different FROM each other.
Not THAN each other.
[BK,YW] Due to, owing to, because of [LB,LB]
BECAUSE OF is better usage.
Wrong: The trip was canceled due to rain.
Wrong: Owing to rain, the trip was canceled.
Right: The trip was canceled because of rain.
Better: Rain forced cancellation . . .
[BK,YW] Ecology, environment [LB,LB]
Not synonymous. "Ecology" is the study of the
relationship between organisms and their
"environment."
Note that "ology" is key to the different meaning.
Biology, zoology, sociology, etc. are fields of
scientific knowledge and study.
[BK,YW] Either [LB,LB]
It means one or the other, not both.
Wrong: There were lions on "either" side of the
door.
Right: There were lions on "each" side of the
door.
[BK,YW] Eyes, gaze [LB,LB]
Your character's eyes remain in his/her head. They
don't fall, jump, leap or follow. The character's
gaze may do all that and more, but eyes remain in
the head.
[BK,YW] Female [LB,LB]
It's an [BK,WH] adjective, [WH,LB] that properly used, modifies
(changes) a noun for more accurate meaning. (See
"Individual" for a more comprehensive harangue
on accuracy in language)
[BK,YW] Fliers, flyers [LB,LB]
Airmen are "fliers." Handbills are "flyers."
[BK,YW] Flout, flaunt [LB,LB]
"Flout" means to mock, to scoff or show disdain for.
A scofflaw who accumulates unpaid parking tickets
flouts the law.
"Flaunt," means to display ostentatiously. The
leader of a parade may flaunt the flag. If you've
got it, flaunt it.
[BK,YW] Head up [LB,LB]
People don't head up committees. They head them.
TV cowboys "head'em up and move'em out."
[BK,YW] Hopefully [LB,LB]
One of the most commonly misused words.
"Hopefully" should describe the way the subject
feels.
For instance: Hopefully I shall present the
plan to the president. (This means I'll be
hopeful when I do it.)
But it's something else when you attribute hope to
a nonperson. You may write: Hopefully, the war will
end soon. You mean you hope the war will end soon,
but it's not what you're saying. What you mean is:
I hope the war will end soon.
[BK,YW] Imply, infer [LB,LB]
The speaker IMPLIES. The hearer INFERS.
EXAMPLE: The manager IMPLIED that he'll give me a
raise. I INFERRED that he will.
[BK,YW] In advance of, prior to [LB,LB]
Both imply a degree of pomposity in the user. Write
it "before."
[BK,YW] Individual [LB,LB]
It's an [BK,WH] adjective [WH,LB] not a noun or pronoun.
An adjective modifies (changes) a noun or
pronoun to be more exact.
EXAMPLE: It's a car. But to be more exact, it's a
red car.
To refer to a person as an "individual" makes no more
sense than to refer to the car as a "red." It's an
illogical statement -- even though it's understood as
readily as the word ain't.
A person is a man, woman, teenager, girl, boy, baby,
infant, soldier, sailor, wife, secretary, executive,
truck driver or any other appropriate noun you may
wish to apply.
But, regardless of the ongoing effort to corrupt
the world's most expressive language for the
purpose of political correctness, most assuredly
they are not males or females.
The words "male" and "female" are adjectives, used
logically to modify nouns. In the flock of white
wooly animals, the sire normally is referred to as
the ram. He's a sheep, described more accurately
as a male sheep.
Of course that's awkward phrasing. That's why
the word ram remains in the language.
So much for political correctness. The class will
be in order and we'll continue with the lesson plan.
[BK,YW] It's, its [LB,LB]
Its is the possessive; it's is the contraction of
"it is."
[BK,YW] Lay, lie [LB,LB]
Lay is the action word. Lie is the state of being.
Wrong: The body will lay in state . . .
Right: The body will lie in state . . .
Right: The prosecutor tried to lay the blame on him.
However, the past tense of lie is lay.
Right: The body lay in state . . .
Wrong: The body laid in state . . .
The past participle and the simple past tense of lay is
laid.
Right: He laid the pencil on the desk.
Right: He had laid the pencil on the desk.
Right: The hen laid an egg.
[BK,YW] Leave, let [LB,LB]
Leave alone means to depart from or cause to be in
solitude. Let alone means to be undisturbed.
Wrong: Mr. Jones talked him into leaving her alone.
Right: Mr. Jones talked him into letting her alone.
Right: When I entered the room I saw that Jim and
Mary were sleeping so I decided to leave
them alone.
Terribly wrong: The firemen left him down on a
rope.
[BK,YW] Less, fewer [LB,LB]
If items can be counted, use fewer. If not, use
less.
Wrong: The Oilers are inferior to the Cowboys
because they have less good linemen.
Right: The Oilers are inferior to the Cowboys
because they have fewer good linemen.
Right: The Oilers are inferior to the Cowboys
because they have less experience.
[BK,YW] Like, as [LB,LB]
Don't use LIKE for AS or AS IF.
In general, use LIKE to compare phrases and clauses
with nouns and pronouns; use AS when comparing with
phrases and clauses that contain a verb.
Wrong: Jim blocks the linebacker like he should.
Right: Jim blocks the linebacker AS he should.
Right: Jim blocks like a pro.
[BK,YW] Male [LB,LB]
It's an [BK,WH] adjective [WH,LB] not a noun.
(See "Individual" for a more comprehensive harangue
on the grammatical incorrectness of political
correctness.)
[BK,YW] Marshall, marshal [LB,LB]
Generally, the first form is correct only when the
word is a proper noun, a person's name, as John
Marshall.
Marshal is a verb.
Right: The colonel will marshal his forces.
Also, marshal is the form to use for a title.
Right: Fire Marshal Joe Bloe.
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
[BK,YW] Mean, average, median [LB,LB]
Use MEAN as synonymous with average.
MEDIAN is the number that has as many components
above as it has below it.
EXAMPLE: 26
23
14 is the median, not average.
13
11
[BK,YW] Need of [LB,LB]
To write "she's in need of . . ." is pompous and
redundant. Write it "she needs."
[BK,YW] Oral, verbal [LB,LB]
Use ORAL when use of the mouth is central to the
thought; the word emphasizes the idea of human
utterance. Verbal may apply to spoken or written
words; it connotes the process of reducing ideas to
writing.
[BK,YW] Over and more than [LB,LB]
They aren't interchangeable. OVER refers to spatial
relationships. MORE THAN is used with figures.
Right: The plane flew over the city.
Right: More than 1,000 fans crowded the field house.
Wrong: "He could recall over 25 sex partners." No-no.
Make it more than . . .
[BK,YW] Parallel construction [LB,LB]
Thoughts in a series in the same sentence require
parallel construction.
Wrong: She asked FOR AN increase of 10 percent in
salary and to cut her work week to 30 hours.
Right: She asked FOR AN increase of 10 percent in
salary and FOR A reduction in her work week
to 30 hours.
[BK,YW] Peddle, pedal [LB,LB]
When selling something you PEDDLE it.
When riding a bicycle, you PEDAL it.
[BK,YW] Pretense, pretext [LB,LB]
They're different, but sometimes it's
a tough distinction.
A PRETEXT is put forward to conceal a truth.
He was discharged for tardiness, but this was
only a PRETEXT for general incompetence.
A PRETENSE is a "false show," a more overt act
intended to conceal personal feelings. My
profuse compliments were all PRETENSE.
[BK,YW] Principle, Principal [LB,LB]
A guiding rule or basic truth is a PRINCIPLE.
The first, dominant, or leading thing is PRINCIPAL.
Principle is a noun.
Principal may be a noun or an adjective.
[BK,YW] REDUNDANCIES [LB,LB]
Redundance is the generic term for the use of more
words than necessary to express one's meaning.
In general the number of redundancies reflects the
degree of pomposity. It bears some relationship to
the number of cliches.
[BK,YW] Easter Sunday [LB,LB]
Make it Easter. By definition, Easter is Sunday.
[BK,YW] Incumbent Congressman (or any incumbent) [LB,LB]
A Congressman is, by definition, incumbent. If he's
not incumbent he's not a Congressman.
[BK,YW] Owns his own home [LB,LB]
Could he own someone else's home? Make it
"owns his home."
[BK,YW] The company will close down [LB,LB]
Make it "will close."
[BK,YW] Smith, Jones and Johnson will all be here. [LB,LB]
[WH,LB] Make it "Smith, Jones and Johnson will be
here."
[BK,YW] During the winter months [LB,LB]
Make it "during the winter."
[BK,YW] Both Reid and Johnson will be here [LB,LB]
Make it "Reid and Johnson will be here."
[BK,YW] I read three different books [LB,LB]
Of course they're different. Make it "I
read three books."
[BK,YW] I am currently working in order processing [LB,LB]
Make it "I'm working in order processing."
Or, better, "I work in order processing."
[BK,YW] Autopsy to determine the cause of death [WH,LB]
Make it "autopsy," which, by definition, is to
determine cause of death.
[BK,YW] Refute [LB,LB]
The word connotes success in argument and almost
always implies editorial (subjective) judgment.
Often misused for REBUT, which means answering an
argument.
Wrong: Father Smith REFUTED the arguments of the
pro-abortion faction.
Right: Father Smith responded to the arguments . . .
[BK,YW] Reluctant, reticent [LB,LB]
If she doesn't want to ACT, she's RELUCTANT.
If she doesn't want to SPEAK, she's RETICENT.
[BK,YW] Spelling [LB,LB]
It's consensus, not concensus.
Until fairly recent years, any question about
spelling or usage could be settled by consulting
"the dictionary."
Today language changes more rapidly than ever;
rival publishers compete with dictionaries that
disagree. Among the many words caught in the middle
of that war are these:
It's dietitian or dietician.
It's restaurateur or restauranteur.
It's blond or blonde (for feminine).
Dictionaries disagree, as do publishers'
style books; use your own preference.
History may vindicate your choice.
[BK,LC] A word of wisdom [WH,LB] for serious writers and literate
barroom bettors: Random House dictionary tends to
the conservative and dogmatic view; American
Heritage leans to liberal spelling and usage.
[BK,YW] To, too [LB,LB]
To is a preposition. It's used to indicate several
possibilities such as "go to," "have to," and
"where to?"
Too means "also," or "too much," and perhaps some
other possibilities, too.
[BK,YW] Stationary, stationery [LB,LB]
If it's stationary it's motionless.
If it's stationery, it's paper.
[BK,YW] Temperatures [LB,LB]
They may get higher or lower, but they don't get
warmer or cooler.
Wrong: Temperatures are expected to warm up in the
area.
Right: Temperatures are expected to rise.
[BK,YW] That, which [LB,LB]
THAT tends to restrict the reader's thought and
direct it the way you want it to go.
WHICH is nonrestrictive, introducing a bit of
subsidiary information. The information is set off
by commas and could be omitted without changing the
thrust of the sentence.
EXAMPLES: The skirt THAT is in the closet needs
pressing. (Meaning: I have more than one
skirt. The one in the closet needs pressing.)
The skirt, WHICH is in the closet, needs
pressing. (Meaning: my skirt needs pressing.
It's in the closet.)
The Picasso THAT graces our lobby is on
loan from the museum. (Meaning: Of all the
Picassos around here, the one in the lobby
is on loan.)
The Picasso, WHICH graces our lobby, is on
loan. (Meaning: Our Picasso is on loan. It
happens to be in the lobby.)
[BK,YW] Trustee, trusty [LB,LB]
Trustee is a financial administrator.
Trusty is a trusted prisoner.
[BK,YW] Wake, waked, awakened [LB,LB]
"Woken" is archaic. When Shakespeare wrote, the
word "woken" occupied a legitimate place in the
language. Today it's dead. Forget it. Try waked or
awakened. Or perhaps rewrite to use the colloquial
woke up or waked up.
[BK,YW] Who, whom [LB,LB]
Who acts.
Whom is acted upon.
EXAMPLE: Who will drive?
You'll drive whom?
[BK,YW] Your, you're [LB,LB]
In the early Seventies a tendency to substitute the
possessive "your" for the contraction "you're"
sneaked into the language. Apparently borne by the
spaced-out minds of the drug-driven Sixties
generation, the virus continues to spread among
writers whose literacy level indicates they should
know better.
It's excusable (or at least understandable) in
the case of a hardware salesman or a contractor's
cost accountant. But for a writer who aspires to
fiction, journalism or how-to-do-it, there's zero
tolerance. It's simply unacceptable under any
circumstances and justifies relegating a manuscript
to the trash bin the instant it appears.
[RD,RD]
[BK,WH] ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING IS THE FUTURE
[MG,MG]
[LB,WH]⌠ ──── ⌡[LB,LB]
