SECTION II.—OF PROPRIETY.
Propriety of language consists in the selection and right construction of such words as the best usage has appropriated to those ideas which we intend to express by them. Impropriety embraces all those forms of error, which, for the purpose of illustration, exercise, and special criticism, have been so methodically and so copiously posted up under the various heads, rules, and notes, of this extensive Grammar. A few suggestions, however, are here to be set down in the form of precepts.
PRECEPT I.—Avoid low and provincial expressions: such as, "Now, says I, boys;"—"Thinks I to myself;"—"To get into a scrape;"—"Stay here while I come back;"—"By jinkers;"—"By the living jingoes."
PRECEPT II.—In writing prose, avoid words and phrases that are merely poetical: such as, morn, eve, plaint, corse, weal, drear, amid, oft, steepy;—"what time the winds arise."
PRECEPT III.—Avoid technical terms: except where they are necessary in treating of a particular art or science. In technology, they are proper.
PRECEPT IV.—Avoid the recurrence of a word in different senses, or such a repetition of words as denotes paucity of language: as, "His own reason might have suggested better reasons."—"Gregory favoured the undertaking, for no other reason than this; that the manager, in countenance, favoured his friend."—"I want to go and see what he wants."
PRECEPT V.—Supply words that are wanting: thus, instead of saying, "This action increased his former services," say, "This action increased the merit of his former services."—"How many [kinds of] substantives are there? Two; proper and common."—See E. Devis's Gram., p. 14. "These changes should not be left to be settled by chance or by caprice, but [should be determined] by the judicious application of the principles of Orthography."—See Fowlers E. Gram., 1850, p. 170.
PRECEPT VI.—Avoid equivocal or ambiguous expressions: as, "His memory shall be lost on the earth."—"I long since learned to like nothing but what you do."
PRECEPT VII.—Avoid unintelligible, inconsistent, or inappropriate expressions: such as, "I have observed that the superiority among these coffee-house politicians proceeds from an opinion of gallantry and fashion."—"These words do not convey even an opaque idea of the author's meaning."
PRECEPT VIII.—Observe the natural order of things or events, and do not put the cart before the horse: as, "The scribes taught and studied the Law of Moses."—"They can neither return to nor leave their houses."—"He tumbled, head over heels, into the water."—"'Pat, how did you carry that quarter of beef?' 'Why, I thrust it through a stick, and threw my shoulder over it.'"