Oral Exercise.—Examine the italicized words in the following sentences, taken from a newspaper. According to a good dictionary, which are barbarisms? What ones are here incorrectly used? Which ones are colloquial—permitted in talking familiarly, but not in writing? Suggest better expressions.
1. Her prospects for a long career on this earth are quite favorable.
2. The galvanic battery was applied every hour without producing any more satisfactory results, but hope did not abandon the resurrectionists.
3. When the police arrived they discovered that Burdick was wearing a bogus police star and he was arrested.
4. “If you’ll throw that gun away and put up your dukes like a gentleman, I’ll come down there and sew a button onto you!”
5. Mr. Hanna was decidedly late in showing up at headquarters.
6. It buttons down the front with the finest white pearl buttons of quite large size.
7. Makers of sporting goods say there are a lot of bicyclists who are ready and waiting to take up every new thing.
8. I spotted two of my countrywomen at once.