Say. Do not use say in the sense of order or command.
| Wrong: Your mother said for you to come home at once. |
| Right: Your mother said that you should come home at once. |
Scarcely. Do not use scarcely after a negative. See §46.
| Wrong: There was not scarcely a pound of meat for us all. |
| Right: There was scarcely a pound of meat for us all. |
Seldom ever. Do not use seldom with ever. Say instead seldom or seldom, if ever.
| Wrong: Fires seldom ever occur. |
| Right: Fires seldom occur. Fires seldom, if ever occur. |
Shut of. Do not use shut of in the sense of rid of.
Wrong: We are shut of him at last.
Sight. Do not use sight in the sense of many or much.
| Wrong: A great sight of people flocked to hear him. |
| Right: A great many people flocked to hear him. |