stiff is used for a “corpse” only by the very lowest type of humanity.
stile, style: Exercise care in spelling these words. A stile is a step or series of steps on each side of a fence or wall, to aid in surmounting it; style is fashion.
stimulant, stimulus: The first of these words denotes that which stimulates the system, as coffee does the action of the heart. A stimulus is that which impels or urges on; as, “a stimulus to hard work is offered by the pecuniary reward it yields.”
stinker: A coarse term applied to an undesirable acquaintance only by the vulgar. It is a term that unfortunately has some vogue in commercial life.
stop: The word is frequently misused, both for step and stay. “Stop in next time you pass” or “stop off on your way down by car” are colloquial but objectionable expressions. The latter clearly means “step off and call in” and would be met by a simple “call in.” Stop implies finality, and should therefore never be used in the sense of a temporary stay. The true meaning of the word stop was well understood by the man who did not invite his professed friend to visit him: “If you come at any time within ten miles of my house, just stop.”—Mathews, Words, Their Use and Abuse, ch. xiv. p. 359.
straight, strait: Exercise care in spelling these words. That which is straight lies evenly between any two of its points or passes from one point to another by direct course; not curved. A strait is a narrow channel connecting two seas. In the plural, strait denotes a difficult or restricted condition; distress or perplexity.
street: According to law, land includes all above and all below. Thus a house on the land or a gold mine beneath is covered by the word land, and its possessor is entitled to both one and the other. In the same way a street includes the houses there built; and it is therefore not strictly correct to speak of a certain house as being on a certain street: it is in the street and is part of it. Compare [ON].
stricken: As a past participle of strike, archaic in England, except when there is an implication in it of misfortune; as, “He was stricken with paralysis.” In the United States stricken, in general application, is not so distinctly archaic, and its use in reference to the erasure of words is very frequent; as, “It is ordered that the words objected to be stricken out.” In the best literary usage of both countries struck is preferred to stricken when no implication of misfortune is conveyed in it. Stricken is the appropriate participial adjective; as, “a stricken man”; “a stricken deer.”—Standard Dictionary.
string, to get on a: A harmless but inelegant equivalent for “to hoax,” which is to be preferred.
subtile, subtle: “Subtile and subtle have been constantly used as interchangeable by good writers but there seems to be a present tendency to distinguish them by making subtile an attribute of things and subtle a characteristic of mind.” A penetrating perfume is described as subtile, whereas a wily sage’s predominating characteristic is subtlety.