Conversation: Its Faults and Its Graces

by Unknown

243. He did it unbeknown to us; say, unknown, &c.

244. If I say "They retreated back," I use a word that is superfluous, as back is implied in the syllable re in retreated. Never place the accent on flu in superfluous, but always on per.

245. In reading Paley's "Evidences of Christianity," I unexpectedly lit on the passage I wanted; say, met with the passage, &c.

246. He has ordered a phaeton from his coach-maker; beware of saying, pheton or phaton. The word should always be pronounced in three syllables, with the accent on pha. N. B. In pha-e-ton the a and e do not form a diphthong, as many suppose; the word is of Greek origin.

247. Be careful to use the hyphen (-) correctly; it joins compound words, and words broken by the ending of the line. The use of the hyphen will appear more clearly from the following example: "many colored wings" means many wings, which are colored; but "many-colored wings" means "wings of many colors."

248. He had to wait in an antechamber; carefully avoid spelling the last word antichamber. N. B. An antechamber is the chamber that leads to the chief apartment. Ante is a Latin preposition, and means before, as, to antedate, that is, "to date beforehand." Anti is a Greek preposition, and means against, as, antimonarchical, that is, "against government by a single person."

249. The axe was very sharp; never spell axe without the e.

250. The force of voice, which is placed on any particular word or words to distinguish the sense, is called emphasis and those words are called emphatical words: as, "Grammar is a useful science." In this sentence the word useful is emphatical. The great importance of emphasis may be seen by the following example:

1. Will you call on me to-morrow?
Yes, I shall [call].
2. Will you call on me to-morrow?
No, but I shall call on your brother.
3. Will you call on me to-morrow?
No, but I shall on the following day.
4. Will you call on me to-morrow?
No, but my brother will.

251. Never say o-fences for offences; pison for poison; co-lection for collection; voiolent for violent; kiver for cover; afeard for afraid; debbuty for deputy.