favor in the sense of “resemble” is a colloquialism, the use of which is not recommended.
faze, feeze: Slang terms for “disconcert” or “confuse,” either of which is to be preferred.
feel to: A colloquial expression meaning “to have an impulse;” as “I feel to agree with you,” which can not be too severely condemned.
feel bad, feel badly: Discriminate carefully between these terms. If you mean to express the idea that you are ailing in health, feel bad is correct. Feel bad is synonymous with feel ill and is correct. One might as well say feel illy as feel badly if the latter were correct as applied to health. However, feel badly is correct when the intention is to say that one’s power of touch is defective as through a mishap to the fingers.
feel good, feel well: Distinguish carefully between these phrases. Good signifies having physical qualities that are useful, or that can be made productive of comfort, satisfaction, or enjoyment, as, a good view, good flour; well signifies having physical health, free from ailment; as, “two are sick, the rest are well.” Compare [GOOD].
felicitate, congratulate: The distinction in the meanings of these words should be carefully noted. To felicitate is to pronounce one happy and in the strict sense, applies to self alone; congratulate is to wish joy to another. In recent years congratulate has been applied to one’s self, and felicitate to another; thus the application of the meanings of these words have been reversed by careless usage.
Trench says, “When I congratulate a person (congratulor) I declare that I am sharer in his joy, that what has rejoiced him has rejoiced me also.” Gratulation, does not signify participation, and therefore, is a mere felicitation (or admission of existing happiness or cause for happiness) addressed to another.
female: An opprobrious or contemptuous epithet for woman. Female should be restricted to its correct use. Do not say “With that modesty so characteristic of a female”; say rather, “... so characteristic of a woman.” Compare [LADY].
fermentation, fomentation: Exercise care in the use of these words. Fermentation is a chemical decomposition of an organic compound; fomentation, is the act of treating with warm water.