317. “The barge is at the quay:” pronounce quay, kay.
318. “The path over the meadow was queachy:” this word, meaning soft or boggy, is now obsolete, and cannot be used with propriety.
319. “He talks pulpitically:” this word, which some who copy Chesterfield persist in using, has never by any good authority been admitted into the language.
320. To peff, meaning to cough faintly (like a sheep), is hardly a useable word.
321. Be careful to distinguish between pencil, an instrument for writing, and pensile, meaning hanging down.
322. To yank is a vulgarism, meaning to twitch powerfully.
323. Avoid the slang phrase, “I used to could.” Say, “I could formerly.”
324. “She takes on about it greatly:” say, grieves.
325. “He staved off the case two days longer:” say, he put off, or delayed.
326. “He made a great splurge:” say, he made a blustering effort.