time: Avoid such an incongruity as “Heaps of time.” “Plenty of time,” or “time enough” are to be preferred.
timely. Compare [SEASONABLE].
tinker’s dam: A colloquialism for something worthless, used usually in the phrase “Not worth a tinker’s dam.” Avoided in polite society.
tiny little: The use of words as mere intensives should be avoided, for by judicious selection a single word can probably be found which is capable of conveying the precise sense desired. To speak of a “tiny little watch” or “a great big house,” indicates a deplorable poverty of vocabulary. It is true that Shakespeare spoke of “the most unkindest cut of all”; but he made use of intensives only when the unusual circumstances of the case required them.
tired, to make one: A colloquialism for “to weary,” or “reduce the patience of” as by absurd stories or silly conversation: a commonplace expression good to avoid.
to: Beware of using the preposition to when at is intended. A common error of this sort is instanced by “He was to school this morning.” Possibly the error is made rather in the verb than the preposition, though the influencing cause of error in the uneducated does not always admit of certainty. We suggest, therefore, that the verb “to be” is used unintentionally for “to go,” and that the sentence is perhaps intended to read “he went to school this morning.” Compare [AND]; [FOR].
togged out or up: An undesirable and vulgar expression for “well-dressed” or “attired in clothes that may attract attention.”
to-morrow: This word is often used with different tenses, the question being raised as to whether it should be “to-morrow is Christmas day” or “to-morrow will be Christmas day.” Both forms are correct. But, generally, in using this word, the supposition is that to-morrow has not arrived at the time of speaking, and, therefore, “to-morrow will be Christmas day” is preferred. Longfellow (Keramos, line 331) says: “To-morrow will be another day.” But the other form also has the sanction of usage, as the following quotations will show:
“To-morrow, what delight is in to-morrow!”—T. B. Read, The New Pastoral, bk. vi. l. 163.
“To-morrow is a satire on to-day.”—Young, The Old Man’s Relapse, l. 6.