ceiling which in derivation is allied with the French ciel, Lat. cœlum, heaven, is to be distinguished from its homonym sealing, the act of attesting with a seal, which springs etymologically from the Latin sigillum, dim. of signum, mark.
celery, salary: Exercise care in spelling these words. Celery is a biennial herb; salary, a periodical allowance made as compensation for services.
cereal, a word derived from Ceres, the goddess of corn. It has nothing in common, save the sound, with serial, which fitly describes a literary publication in parts issued successively (Lat. series, sere join). Exercise care in spelling these words.
cession, from Latin of cedo, yield, meaning surrender, must not be confounded with session, from Latin sedeo, sit, as used in the expression a session of court.
character, reputation: These are not synonymous terms. Character is what one is; reputation is that which one is thought to be. Character includes both natural and acquired traits; reputation designates only those traits acquired as by contact with one’s fellow men. Holland in Gold Foil (p. 219) makes the following distinction: “Character lives in a man; reputation outside of him.”
chargeable: Do not spell this word chargable. Remember its components are charge + able and the “e” is retained before the second “a.”
cherubim and seraphim: Do not use these plurals as singulars. There is no such thing as a cherubim.
chew the rag: A low phrase sometimes used as an equivalent for “wrangle;” as, “stop chewing the rag,” meaning, “cease wrangling.” The use of expressions of this kind can not be too severely condemned.
childlike, childish: There is a distinction between these words. The one is used in a good sense, the other is spoken in derogation.